Photo by Will Hart/HBO Boxing
This Saturday night in Madison Square Garden, IBO and WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin squares off against Australian tough guy, Daniel Geale in what is most definitely both men’s toughest test to date, leading to a very intriguing and highly entertaining match up.
From very early on in his career, Gennady Golovkin was being hailed as a future pound-for-pound star and with each of his stellar performances the hype slowly began to turn into reality, as Golovkin has bamboozled every opponent he has faced without as much as breaking a sweat. Great knockout wins against the likes of Matt Macklin and Curtis Stevens show that Golovkin is the real deal.
Yet, in Geale, Golovkin faces a tough Aussie who is not afraid of a scrap. As a former middleweight champion himself, Geale is aware of what it takes to get his hands on the coveted world title, after he went to a hostile Germany to snatch the title from Felix Sturm back in 2012.
Since then though Geale has lost his world title in a tight points decision to Darren Barker last year, but the Australian has not been deterred by this and will be looking to make a massive statement come Saturday night and become a world champion once again.
Does Daniel Geale have the ability to cause an almighty upset and dethrone the predator Gennady Golovkin? Or will Golovkin carry on his reign at the top of the middleweight division?
Leave a comment below letting us know who you think will win and scroll through for Chris Murray’s preview and prediction.
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Tale of the Tape
Photo by Will Hart/HBO Boxing
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Even though there is not much difference between both fighter’s records, there is a significant advantage in rounds boxed for Daniel Geale, as he has boxed an additional 113 rounds in his lengthy career. Since turning pro back in 2004, Geale has built up an impressive record of 33 wins with only two solitary defeats, one which he avenged.
However it is evident that the power does lay with the heavy handed Gennady Golovkin, who has a staggering 89.66 percent knockout percentage compared to the 50 percent of Geale.
It will be very interesting to see which way both men approach this fight.
Will Geale risk it all in a bid to try and unsettle the usually ice-cool Golovkin. And how will Golovkin deal with the sustained pressure of the energetic Geale, who will be looking to take Golovkin to the trenches.
Stats from BoxRec.com
Main Storylines
Photo by Jeremy Flores/Round By Round Boxing
Throughout the build up to this fight, there has been very little talk from each camp, just both men quietly confident about how they will execute their gameplan come July 26.
Many have stated that it is a David versus Goliath task for Daniel Geale, who will be up against one of the most feared fighters on the planet. On the other hand, there is still a case for Geale who is maybe being overlooked by both the boxing media and Gennady Golovkin’s camp, who are already preparing for future bouts with the big names of the sport.
Needless to say, if Geale was to be triumphant and take Golovkin’s undefeated record, it would prove to be an almighty scalp in a fantastic career spanning almost a decade.
If Golovkin is to be successful on the night, then Geale maybe left asking himself whether he will ever get his hands again on the world title he craves.
Strengths for Each Man
Gennady Golovkin
Photo by Marilyn Paulino/Round By Round Boxing
There is no doubt that the 32 year old from Kazakhstan has a significant advantage in power over his counterpart.
The way Gennady Golovkin cripples his opponents, shows that he can hurt you with either hand, which could be ominous for Daniel Geale.
What is very impressive though, is that Golovkin not only has the ability to set up his shots, but also has the patience to carve out an opening in his opponents defence instead of becoming reckless.
Therefore, I believe Golovkin’s power advantage along with his classy ring generalship should give GGG the ability to keep the rugged Geale off.
Daniel Geale
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Daniel Geale is as tough as they come, his come forward pressure style consists of throwing a large number of punches per round that unsettles his opponents.
It has been this style that has proved to be very successful for him throughout his long career.
This should most definitely be his strategy come Saturday night, as Geale should try and hussle Gennady Golovkin on to the back foot, while staying up close to neutralize GGG’s power.
Weaknesses for Each Man
Gennady Golovkin
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It is extremely difficult to try and pinpoint a weakness in the game of Gennady Golovkin.
The 33 year old has it all including speed, power, impeccable footwork and amazing ring generalship.
But the fact that he has demolished all of his previous opponents with relative ease, Golovkin could become complacent, looking ahead towards a unification bout with another 160 pound champion.
Daniel Geale
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I believe Daniel Geale’s strength could also be his weakness.
If Geale depends on his heart without using his boxing ability, then he could leave himself open for a concussive punch from Gennady Golovkin, who could end the fight at any moment.
What may also be a factor is the Australian’s work rate. Can he continue to fight at a fast pace after a tough career?
Geale is not getting any younger, even though he is as tough as they come, Golovkin is at the peak of his powers.
So does Geale have enough left in the tank to try and derail the most feared middleweight in the world?
The Winner and Why
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Can Daniel Geale shock the world and dethrone the indestructible Gennady Golovkin, who has steam-rolled his way through the middleweight division since he turned pro?
Or will it be a dose of cold reality for the Australian fighter?
Unfortunately for Geale, I believe it will be the latter, due to the superior talent of Golovkin, as Geale’s style seems to be tailor made for him.
The Australian’s come forward style may discourage the champion for the first few rounds, however like all great champions, Golovkin will produce his best work under pressure and begin to land at will.
Geale should give Golovkin his toughest test to date, still, I cannot see anything other than a Golovkin win in a spectacular performance that we have come to expect from the Kazakh.
