Watched GGG vs. Britain’s Martin Murray last night. Golovkin
pitched a near shutout, before knocking the game British champion out in the 11th
round. The fight announcers, Roy Jones, Max Kellerman, and Jim Lampley were a little
too much effusive in their praise of Murray. It was a one-sided fight all the
way through, although I did agree that Murray has a solid fighter’s heart. He deserves praise for that, as well as for
fighting past three knockdowns. The
other thing you notice is that Murray has great hand speed, both left and
right. Some say he doesn’t have stand-out power, and that is true, but he has
enough power to knock people out so I don’t want to pin him that way.
It was only fitting, however, that I watched an old war
movie, Patton, after the fight. The association I’m making is because of that
often quoted phrase of the famous WWI general George S. Patton. The purpose of
fighting, said Patton, was not to die for
your country, but to make some other poor bastard die for his.
Golovkin had gotten that message but apparently Murray hadn’t.
It looked like Murray’s management had decided he should die for his country.
It wasn’t until the referee stepped in that the honor was denied him. On the other hand, Murray showed tremendous
courage, no doubt about that, and several times barked orders at his corner
that they weren’t to stop the fight. So he kept fighting on for pride and
heart. I just hope it didn’t do him as much damage as I believed it did (and
still believe it). But, I’m not complaining; it was boxing at the high level,
and you have to expect they’ll let fighters get into the deep water that
separates the good from the great.
The announcers were definitely promoting Murray, though, and
in the post-fight interview, Kellerman hardly listened to Golovkin who said,
essentially, that he was just chilling in the first five rounds. Kellerman was saying but yes, you got hit,
and did that show a vulnerability? What
was poor Golovkin to say especially when his language is at the ESL level?
So my underlying point is that there are two audiences for the sport
and HBO was pitching to the broad audience that thinks boxing “color
commentators” (I would call them colorists, lol) are telling you exactly how
the fight really, really, really, really is and not promoting or looking to the
television future.
But another audience is the true color fight
fan who cares only about what is real. Boxing at the highest level is a game of
truth, and that’s what makes the sport so interesting. Golovkin has put the
sportwriters/ announcers into a weird position but let’s face the following Golovkin
facts:
·
Golovkin purposefully got some rounds in with
Murray. That’s what he wanted, and that’s what he needed. I’m sure the KO would
have occurred earlier had not he and his promotors decided to get the rounds
in. That was a very smart and necessary thing for Golovkin. Most of his other
opponents retired too early, and that’s not good for a fighter who’s going to
be one of the great ones.
·
While the color commentators were going oooh and
aaah over Murray’s lightening quick right hand which landed several times, they
won’t tell you that Golovkin wanted to take those shots. It is a fact that most fighters, at one point
or other, will want to feel the power of the opponent. A certain kind of
masochism is inherent in the sport, I’m afraid. Another reason Golovkin liked
to get hit was so that he could roll or flow with the punches. I’m not saying he
wanted every shot he took, but he wanted most of them. Believe it. I”ve seen it. You’ve seen it if you’ve looked
close.
·
Golovkin’s ready for a “big name” and it’s time promotors
wake up to it.
·
He locks onto his opponents like a heat seeking
missile and is unrelenting.
·
He boxes, he punches, he knows where he is in
the ring.
·
It’s not his job to ask the referee to stop the
fight so Max Kellerman should have stopped asking.
