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Gene Blevins/Hogan Photos
Gennady Golovkin feels he has something to prove even going into the fight as the favorite. He recognizes Willie Monroe’s strengths and knows that he must prove his ability to face different fighting styles. On Monroe, he said to HBO Boxing (in a Borat-esque way), “He’s very good [at] moving, he has good speed. I want to show I can beat any style. I promise [an] amazing show.”
In another interview with HBO Boxing, Monroe acknowledges that this is a classic case of styles making fights: “I’m a stylistic enigma to the style he brings, so let’s see if I can execute it. It’s all about who executes their style better that night.”
The great-nephew of Willie Monroe, who famously beat Marvin Hagler, knows he isn’t the favorite going in but he likes it that way. Monroe says, “I relish being the underdog. That’s what makes moments like this great. That’s what makes winning that much better.”
Though Golovkin insists he’s 100 percent focused on the Monroe fight (per ESPN), he hinted that it’s cuffing season: “My goal is to win all of the belts in the middleweight division. For me that is very important. I want a unification fight. But for right now my focus is on Monroe. He is a good fighter and I respect him.”
