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Sunday, February 22, 2015

GGG Golovkin Gets In Some Rounds Vs. Martin Murray


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.That’s all right, I suppose, it must be done, if only to create a broader audience for the sport.  

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.