GOLOVKIN – AFTER ROSADO I WANT SERGIO MARTINEZ AND ANDRE WARD

LIITR RADIO | davidradio | January 11, 2013 6:37 pm

By Esteban Walters

Gennady Golovkin Visits Leave it in the RinG Radio to Discuss Rosado, Martinez & Ward.

One of the best kept secrets in boxing for several years – except to hardcore boxing fans – is the hard-hitting undefeated 30-year-old Kazakh Gennady Golovkin (24-0, 21KOs) of Stuttgart, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany. Many saw the WBA middleweight champion Golovkin for the first time when he made his U.S. and HBO debut last year Sept. 1 versus solid EBU middleweight title holder Grzegorz Proksa at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. The hard charging Golovkin starched Proksa, dropping him in the 1st, 4th and 5th rounds – the only three times Proksa’s ever been downed – on his way to an easy 5th round knockout.

Golovkin is one of the most talented fighters around and expectations for the middleweight sensation are sky high. Gennady strikes like a mule and has the technical skills to match his power. Many of Triple G’s peers do their best to avoid him. Golovkin is an Olympic silver medalist (’04), who beat the likes of Andre Dirrell and Andy Lee, while knocking out Lucian Bute, in the amateurs.

Golovkin’s emergence, as well as fighters like Peter Quillin, Daniel Geale and Dmitry Pirog, to go along with guys like Sergio Martinez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., has the middleweight division looking better than it has in quite some time.

Golovkin will be making his second appearance on U.S. soil next week Jan. 19, again in New York but this time at the legendary Madison Square Garden versus 26-year-old junior middleweight Gabriel Rosado (21-5, 13KOs) of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for Golovkin’s WBA strap and broadcast live on HBO. The fight – which is the co-feature to Orlando Salido and Mikey Garcia’s WBO featherweight championship bout – will take place at the middleweight limit of 160 pounds as Rosado is making the move up in weight for the opportunity.

The telecast open’s with Roman Martinez vs. Juan Carlos Burgos for Martinez’s WBO junior lightweight title.

Despite five losses, Rosado has re-energized his career with a string of impressive victories that have firmly placed him in the junior middleweight and middleweight championship mix. Rosado is coming off knockout victories over the likes of Ayi Bruce, Jesus Soto Karass, Sechew Powell and Charles Whittaker. King Rosado deserves credit for stepping up to the plate, looking to seize upon an opportunity that doesn’t come around every day, even though he has to move up in weight and fight a guy that nobody else is trying to in Golovkin. Rosado is a real fighter with balls that will come to fight no matter the monster standing opposite him.

This championship fight should provide fireworks while it last.

Golovkin stopped by Leave it in the RinG Radio yesterday Jan. 10 to speak with hosts David Duenez and Gabriel Montoya about his upcoming fight as well as a few champions that are on his hit list.

Below are some of the quotes from the Q&A

David Duenez: What do you think Rosado brings in the fight against you, and do you feel that this is a step up in competition, in your opinion?

Gennady Golovkin: I think he’s aggressive. I think [he wants] a close fight, [close distance] because he’s aggressive, because he’s strong.

Gabriel Montoya: Do you think he’s (Rosado) going to try and close the distance and smother your power so that you can’t extend and get your combinations off?

Golovkin: Yes, right. I think so.

Montoya: Do you think the kind of fighter that he is, I mean, he’s a very tough fighter, he’s rough and tumble, like, he’s going to try and get in there. Do you think that that’s the only dimension that he has?

Golovkin: No, he’s a boxer. Boxer-puncher.

Montoya: How do you feel you need the fight to play out, I mean, do you feel comfortable just boxing with him, is that going to be your approach, more of just a patient pressure?

Golovkin: Yes, pressure, pressure, every time yes, absolutely. I like pressure, pressing.

Duenez: Is there a lot of pressure on you to continue with your KO’s and being an exciting fighter? Since you really have caught the imagination of all fight fans out there.

Golovkin: Yes I have a lot of pressure. I think [it will be a] knock out. Not a decision, a knock out.

Montoya: Is [that] how you prefer fights to go though, do you not mind a decision, or do you just prefer knocking people out?

Golovkin: [Knockouts yes].

Montoya: Do you think of yourself as a KO artist?

Golovkin: Yes.

Montoya: Or is [that] just the way you fight?

Golovkin: Both. I like different [styles], hard work, tough fight, you know, I like it.

Montoya: Why do you think you and Abel Sanchez work so well together?

Golovkin: I think he’s great. I understand him, he understands me, [it's] a great team. Hard work every time, hard work every day. I think it’s a great team.

Montoya: You seem to really enjoy your training, heading up there to Big Bear [CA] where it’s very isolated. Not a lot of fighters enjoy going up there, it takes a special kind of guy. Is this for you, you’re 30-years-old, do you just want to kind of get your career done, really focus in and have a bunch of fights, make a bunch of money, and then kind of just exit the sport? It seems like you do not really do anything else but train. Every time I talk to you you’re training. Is that kind of the game plan, to not stay in boxing that long but stay very focused while you do?

Golovkin: Yes why not. I think yes.

Duenez: Gennady let me ask you this. After this fight, if you’re successful, do you jump and face one of the top three middleweights out there, preferably [RING, WBC middleweight champion] Sergio Martinez. Or do you continue learning and taking on guys that can help you learn in the ring before going for a title?

Golovkin: Yes, absolutely, of course. Anybody, absolutely.

Duenez: So anybody. You’re willing to take Sergio Martinez next, or whatever your management or promoters are willing to give you, you’re going to take it?

Golovkin: Yes, right.

Montoya: Who do you think between 154 and 168 [pounds] — which you said you could fight at any of those divisions. Who is the most dangerous fight for you?

Golovkin: Dangerous? [laughs]. I don’t know, I feel great. This is boxing, this is the sport, [I'm ready for anybody].

Montoya: But do you think, say, [RING, WBC, WBA super middleweight champion] Andre Ward would be tougher than Sergio Martinez, [or just different]?

Golovkin: I think Andre Ward is much, much better. Because he’s big, he’s strong, he’s very smart.

Duenez: Who would you prefer to face first, Andre Ward or Sergio Martinez?

Golovkin: Right now I think its Martinez just because he’s a middleweight. Andre Ward, I want [that] fight. For me, I think it’s much better to [have] one, maybe two fights, and then in the future Ward. Two fights and I’m ready for Andre Ward, I want this fight.

You can follow Gennady Golovkin on Twitter at @gggboxing