This Saturday middleweight sensation, Gennady Golovkin will defend his IBF title and WBA Super World title against American Dominic Wade at the Forum in Inglewood, California.
The fight will also be for the Interim WBC belt, which would suggest the organisation are looking to endorse the Canelo fight with the Mexican holding the main WBC strap. This being the case unless Amir Khan can upset the odds and beat Canelo for the belt on May 5th.
Golovkin will equally have to deal with mandatory challenger Wade as well though. Although the American is a massive underdog, he does have a good pedigree racking up 160 amateur bouts. This will have exposed Wade to a lot of different styles, so there is some hope that he can cause Golovkin some problems in the fight.
There is every chance that Golovkin will make short work of Wade though, like he has managed in so many of his recent fights. The ring generalship shown by Golovkin has a brutal effectiveness to it. His ability to cut off the ring so well and push opponents into reverse, whilst landing his own concussive work has made him impossible to compete with for everyone he has faced so far.
The fact that Golovkin also appears to have a very good chin only complements the Khazak’s credentials. He demonstrated this in his defence against England’s Martin Murray, with the Brit bravely lasting till the eleventh round and landing regularly before eventually being stopped.
A victory against Dominic Wade will be Golovkin’s 35th without defeat but will also hopefully set up his fight with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. This is what most fans are hoping for including myself, it also means Golovkin will have to stay focused on Wade on the night and not let this be the banana skin that stops his mega fight from happening.
Saturday’s card will also feature current WBC Flyweight King, Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez. The Nicaraguan pound for pound star will be defending his WBC title against Puerto Rican, McWilliams Arroyo.
Gonzalez up until the last year or so has been one of boxings best kept secrets, with ‘Chocolatito’ winning world titles in three different weight classes. Starting at minimum weight and going up to light flyweight and his current WBC world title at Flyweight.
This has changed recently though, with the Nicaraguan gaining far more exposure in his deal with HBO. He is fast becoming one of the hottest stars in the sport.
Last time out Gonzalez looked great stopping former flyweight champion Brian Viloria to defend his WBC title. ‘Chocolatito’ will be hoping for a similar display this time round and will be in with a fighter in Arroyo, who’s only loss since 2010, was to current IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng from Thailand.
Arroyo will be hoping to spring a surprise and beat the Nicaraguan world champion, however Gonzalez has more than justified his position in the pound for pound rankings in boxing and will go into the fight as a worthy favourite.
Gonzalez’s recent fights sharing the card with Gennady Golovkin have done well to enhance both Champion’s popularity, with the pair regularly in exciting fights and both will be hoping for the same this Saturday as they defend their world titles in California.
– Sam Curtis / @Lil_Ceaser24
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