By Jackie Kallen
Watch out, middleweights. There’s a new sheriff in town. As a matter of fact, junior middleweights and super-middleweights should also be on the alert. This heavy-hitting boss man is gunning for all of you.
American fight fans got a chance to see what all the commotion is about when GGG, also known as Gennady Golovkin, made his USA debut against tough Grzegorz Proksa. Neither fighter is a household name over here and I dare anyone to say their names three times a row without stumbling. But they showed the world why they were worthy of a spot on HBO.
With an impressive 28-1 record, the game Proksa put it all on the line when he stepped in the ring to fight undefeated GGG. At 27, with a 70% knock-out ratio, the 5’8″ southpaw seemed confident and prepared. But no amount of training and sparring can prepare a fighter for a monster like Golovkin who has destroyed 21 of his 24 opponents. At 30 years old and standing 5’10”, he makes all of his opponents look like little boys. He is a beasst.
Proksa was hardly a walk-over, considering that no one has ever been able to get him off his feet. His only loss was an extremely close decision against Kerry Hope. From Poland but living in the UK, Proksa got cut in the second round of that fight due to a head butt and he still came within a point of winning on one card and it was a draw on another card. He is a damn good fighter. No one can question that.
But Triple G made it look easy as he disposed of Proksa in the fifth round. Prior to that, Proksa was down in the first round and again in the fourth. He was never really in the fight. To be honest, I don’t think he knew what hit him in that first round and was fighting defensively after that. He is a game warrior with a lot of heart. But how does an average man defeat a super power?
I am sure that GGG is salivating to get at the winner of Chavez, jr./Martinez. He would also fight the winner of Ward/Dawson or the winner of Alvarez/Lopez. He seems fearless and eager to face whoever stands in front of him. From Kazakhstan, but living in Germany, he has the demeanor of a young Mike Tyson. Opponents succumb to the intimidation factor as soon as they step through the ropes.
GGG is also charming, nice-looking and speaks enough English to carry on a conversation. He is what every athlete hopes to be: Marketable. With the right PR machine behind him, he can become another Pacman or Mayweather. A marquee name. Boxing needs him. Badly.
After showing the world what he is capable of, GGG will now have to find boxers who will be willing to get into the ring with him. That won’t be easy now that the beast has been let out of the box. It’s no secret anymore. I pity the man who thinks he will be the one to slay this dragon. Good luck.
Jackie Kallen is a boxing manager who has been in the business for over three decades. Her life inspired the Meg Ryan film “Against the Ropes” and she was a part of the NBC series “The Contender.” www.JackieKallen.com, www.facebook.com/JackieKallen