Golovkin looks to give fans good fight with KO streak on line vs. Rubio
There were many boxing pundits who felt Daniel Geale would be Gennady Golovkin's toughest fight when they squared off July 26.
Yet, after Golovkin landed a rocket right hand in the third round — while he was off balance, not squared up and his opponent was landing a shot of his own — the fight was over and the legend of GGG grew to another level.
On Saturday (10 p.m. ET, HBO) Golovkin (30-0, 27 KOs) takes on a tough veteran opponent in Marco Antonio Rubio, known as a puncher himself with 51 knockouts in 59 wins against six losses. Golovkin will be defending his WBA super and IBO middleweight titles, with the interim WBC middleweight belt on the line.
"I'm very excited for this fight," Golovkin said. "He is a good opponent, but I am ready to fight and I want to give a good fight for the fans."
The number of those fans is growing.
Golovkin's rise has proven the old adage that people love knockouts. Saturday's fight will be another big step, not only in his boxing career, but for his continued marketing. He will headline a card at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., his first bout in the state in which he has been training for the last few years.
"This fight is a gift for the fans," Golovkin said. "I want to thank them for their support and I want to perform in front of them."
The training he has done in the mountain resort town of Big Bear, a popular spot for fighters to train, is something he believes has helped him turn the punching power that made him a hot prospect as an amateur and young pro into one of the most feared assets in the sport.
"It is great for me to train there because I don't have any distractions," Golovkin said, "and I can focus on my training and boxing and working with my trainer Abel Sanchez."
Golovkin never wants to predict knockouts or admit that he goes for knockouts, but with 27 in 30 fights and 17 in a row, there is little doubting that, even though Rubio is known for his toughness, fans will fill the arena and tune in expecting to see another GGG opponent on the canvas.
"The fans can expect a good fight and a good show," Golovkin said. "I know I am facing a good opponent and I am ready for the fight."
