Strengths For Each Man
Gennady Golovkin
The magnitude of Gennady Golovkin’s power practically goes without saying—just look at his record. I’m not sure why anyone would underestimate him going into the ring, but it definitely seems some of his past opponents have. Golovokin can destroy you and he knows it. What makes him different than most pressure fighters is that he actually has sound fundamentals. He’s not crazy like James Kirkland (we saw how that went last week), or any other pressure fighter that jumps in mid/close-range without regard for defense.
Golovkin’s principal strength is in coming forward. He knows how to use his jab to close the distance (he loves using the double jab, taking a step and fully extending for each one). He knows how to bring his hands back and keep a tight defense. He knows how to throw crisp punches instead of winging them. Golovkin thirsts for blood while shielding himself from the shedding of his own.
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Willie Monroe Jr.
Willie Monroe is likely the slickest guy Gennady Golovkin has come across. His footwork makes him much more elusive than other opponents in Golovkin’s career. Defensively, Monroe’s footwork is important as to not allow Golovkin to set and throw his punches. His footwork is also pretty sound on the inside if he needs to escape, which is an excellent tool to have going against someone who likes to control the inside exchanges.
I’m interested to see how well Golovokin adjusts to Monroe’s style. Not just to him being a southpaw, but I want to see if and how Golovkin adapts to his movement and elusiveness. Monroe employs great timing and accuracy once he can figure the other guy out; he can even frustrate them just by throwing pop-shots. Monroe will put himself at a great advantage if he can figure out Golovkin and react accordingly. The best chance Monroe has at winning is by frustrating Golovkin and breaking him down, round by round.
