On Saturday, February 21, 2015, another willing opponent will accept the colossal task of attempting to halt the meteoric rise of WBA and IBO Middleweight conundrum, Gennady Golovkin.
Talented Middleweight, Martin Murray has agreed to take the dreaded mission of having to share the ring with arguably the most feared puncher in the fight game. Despite this though, Murray is positively upbeat about overthrowing the Kazakh express, but as the many others who preceded him quickly realize, has he bitten off more than he can chew?
Golovkin has been steamrolling his way through the Middleweight division since he turned pro back in 2006, taking apart genuine foes with relative ease. The backlash from Golovkin’s speedy surge has resulted in most of the fighters at 160 pounds being cautious about taking on the monumental risk that Golovkin poses, which is understandable.
It is trivial to think about who has the capabilities to defeat the one-man wrecking ball, because taking him the distance is a mammoth challenge in itself. Can Martin Murray be that man?
The former British champion was incredibly unlucky not to be leaving Argentina with Sergio Martinez’s WBC Middleweight title around his waist in 2013. He exposed the once reigning middleweight king on his own patch; it was only that the judges were apparently scoring a different fight in Buenos Aires that night, which saw Murray suffer the first blemish on his record.
Since then, Murray is now acknowledged as a top-tier operator at 160 pounds as well as a future world champion, which he has deserved since he was duped in Germany against Felix Sturm all those years ago.
This eagerly anticipated showdown between Murray and Golovkin has all the trimmings of an enthralling affair. Murray has the potential to give Golovkin his toughest test to date, hence the reason why the boxing faithful are counting down the days until one of the most exciting bouts of 2015 kicks off.
Tale of the Tape
[table id=50 /]
Gennady Golovkin’s knockout percentage is simply a pleasure to behold. At a staggering 90.32 percent, GGG has proven that his power cannot be dismissed by anyone. Just ask Matt Macklin, Marco Antonio Rubio and Daniel Geale who all felt the full wrath of the unforgiving Golovkin.
In addition to the 32-year-old’s undisputed power, he is currently on an unbelievable knockout streak in world title bouts, beginning with his first world title opportunity, a mere 13 fights ago.
Can he keep that run going?
It is clear that Martin Murray does not have the same devastating power as his rival, with only a 38 percent KO percentage. Still, what the St Helens slugger lacks in power, he makes up for in boxing ability.
Murray has established himself as a top draw Middleweight after building up an impressive record of 29-1-1, 12 KOs, which includes the two ropey decisions suffered at the hands of Felix Sturm and Sergio Martinez.
The advantage in both height and reach lie with Murray, as well as boxing an additional 48 rounds, which could pay dividends for him when the pair meet in the ring. As we have seen many times before with Golovkin though, the bigger they are, the harder they undoubtedly fall.
Main Storylines
Martin Murray, along with Gennady Golovkin, has not shied away from the fact that this upcoming clash is extremely important. Murray has already accepted that he may have already been written off in this bout by most in boxing circles, due to Golovkin’s feared reputation.
However, with the majority of headlines centered on Golovkin, the St Helens fighter has nothing to lose going into Saturday nights matchup. Bearing that in mind, Murray is confident that he, along with his trainer Oliver Harrison, have came up with the perfect game plan that will optimistically discourage the seemingly unstoppable Kazakh.
The pair are dedicated athletes, focusing solely on the task at hand. Golovkin has escaped to the secluded Big Bear for camp, while Murray has chosen to sacrifice his family and head to South Africa in order to prepare for the biggest fight of his life.
Therefore, with their long awaited showdown creeping ever closer, can the underdog Martin Murray shock the world, leaving the boxing world stunned? Or will Golovkin continue on his path to supremacy?
Strengths for Each Man
Gennady Golovkin
Photo by Naoki Fukada
The former Amateur star has shown that he is a master craftsman when it comes to boxing, but his devastating one punch power is undeniably his most feared asset.
The fact that he is just as destructive with both hands plus his ability to generate power into punches from unorthodox angles, makes the task of facing Gennady Golovkin tremendously ominous for Martin Murray.
Along with his brute strength, Golovkin has an exceptional boxing brain that allows him to cut the ring off productively and when it is combined with his great timing, there seems to be no escaping GGG.
The latter is sometimes overlooked, because Golovkin’s power creates the drama, yet his movement and footwork can be just as effective.
Martin Murray
AP Photo
The 32-year-old challenger is very much underrated. Martin Murray has an efficient jab, decent speed and most of all a great defense.
This was evident when Murray was able to neutralize the power of former pound-for-pound star, Sergio Martinez, when the champion was deemed by most as untouchable.
Murray also prides himself in taking a good shot, so if he can drag Golovkin into the later rounds, he just may unravel the talented enigma.
Weaknesses for Each Man
Gennady Golovkin
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
It is almost impossible to assess a fighter’s weaknesses when he has been utterly flawless as Gennady Golovkin has been. To be super critical, the 32-year-old champion does take a lot of shots, which no one has been able to punish him for as of yet.
In fairness, Golovkin has not been fazed at all by any shot he has taken in his career.
Be that as it may, it would be interesting to see if Golovkin can take a punch from a full-blooded Middleweight, or a sweet shot from Murray?
Martin Murray
Martin Murray has been excellent when he has faced the elite Middleweights. However, Murray has shown that he can be outworked, and after witnessing Gennady Golovkin outwork the usually relentless Daniel Geale, it begs the question, will Murray be able to cope with the pressure?
Furthermore, Murray’s lack of power could also be a concern. The issue is that if Golovkin begins to cut the ring off successfully, then the challenger’s lack of power would become even more apparent, as he will find it immensely difficult to keep the determined Golovkin off his chest.
The Winner and Why
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
When Martin Murray took on Sergio Martinez in Argentina back in April 2013, many critics believed Murray would be elated if he was simply to win a few rounds against a Martinez who was cleaning up the division.
As we know, Murray was gracious in defeat, but more importantly, he confirmed without any doubt that he could give the Middleweight rulers a very tough assignment.
Granted, Gennady Golovkin is a different animal indeed to Martinez. For that reason, I have opted for a Golovkin win on February 21. I still believe Murray should not be written off that easily, as stranger things have happened in boxing.
Nevertheless, I am expecting the man from Kazakhstan to take control in the middle rounds, wining by a late stoppage or a lopsided decision, ending his streak of 13 knockouts in 13 world title defenses.
Needless to say, Gennady Golovkin has shown that his power can be disguised in his unorthodox shots that demolish his opposition, so if it was another quick night’s work for Golovkin, I’m sure the boxing world would not be too surprised either.
