Busy Golovkin ready for bigger fights
WBA middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin has no interest in sitting around and waiting for the rest of the world's best 160 pounders to accept his challenges.
That's why the Kazakh-born resident of Germany Golovkin (25-0) is in Monte Carlo this weekend to take on Japan’s Nobuhiro Ishida on Saturday night in his seventh title defence in less than 2½ years.
After building his career gradually in Europe, Golovkin is in a hurry and is willing to go around the world to become a pound for pound star.
Golovkin, 30, wants to fight five times this year, having already stopped Gabriel Rosado in seven rounds on his Madison Square Garden debut in January. With 22 knockouts on his record, his reputation is growing with every knockout and he is confident he'll soon land bigger opponents than Ishida (24-8-2), a dangerous journeyman who's unlikely to slow down the rising star.
Although Golovkin is a heavy favourite, the 37-year-old challenger from Osaka has never been stopped in 34 pro fights and when it comes to being a underdog, his first round stoppage of James Kirkland in 2011 proves that he doesn't pay much attention to that label. And the champion is taking the fight seriously.
"I saw him fight and I think he's a good man and a good fighter," said Golovkin. "I saw his fight with James Kirkland and it was impressive. I also saw his fight with Dmitry Pirog from Russia, and it was a very close fight. He's not scared, he's tall, and every time he fights, he's focused. It will be a good fight, I'll make sure it's a good fight."