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GGG and G Wars! GGG Golovkin versus G-Man McClellan Middleweight Dream Fight
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
How would GGG fare in a 12 round world title bout in his prime against Gerald ‘G-Man’ McClellan in his prime? This is a great historical question in the time machine. McClellan, 31-2 as a 160 pound middleweight with 29 knockouts, knocked out three consecutive world title challengers in the first round: former champion Julian Jackson, Gilbert Baptist, and Jay Bell. That statistic is hard to beat, even by GGG’s standards of high accomplishment.
Gerald McClellan versus Jay Bell, WBC World Middleweight Title Defense, August 1993
Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez, Puerto Rico https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZPKe0xovh4
GGG equals McClellan in both combatants are hard hitting fast starters. Neither like to take their bout into the later rounds. I figure McClellan would knock out GGG anywhere in rounds nine, ten, eleven, or even round twelve. The bout would not go the distance. I figure GGG to be counted out. McClellan, in his prime, hit too hard and too consistent for even the likes of Golovkin to keep up with. The G-Man was a relentless tiger, looking to maul his opponents and close the show. His gas tank was always on full. Golovkin got taken into the eleventh round by Martin Murray. G-man would have taken Murray out in three.
G-Man had more natural talent than GGG in this division. GGG versus Carlos Monzon is a separate issue. Golovkin could have won, drawn or lost over 15 rounds with Carlos Monzon, the direction of the decision would be based on the game plan and at what point GGG fought Monzon. G-Man versus GGG is measured on the 12 round concept, not 15.
Perhaps the best measure of the tape for GGG versus the G-Man will be GGG versus Canelo Alvarez or Miguel Cotto. It seems a big money certainty GGG’s first big stakes bout will be against the winner of Canelo Alvarez versus Cotto, probably Canelo but who knows? GGG will be unable to overpower Canelo, and having to outbox either of these two warriors will answer many questions surrounding GGG, or expose him, whichever it is.
Put these two hardest hitting middleweight champions in their prime into the boxing ring, and only one will come out standing. At 33-0 with 30 knockouts, Gennady Golovkin of Karaganda, Kazakhstan is the most consistent world middleweight champion since Bernard Hopkins, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon. With universal power and technical boxing skills, it would prove hard to beat Golovkin in his prime. However, Golovkin has yet to fight David Lemieux (next), Miguel Cotto, Saul Alvarez, Peter Quillin, Erislandy Lara, Cornelius ‘K2’ Bundridge, Andy Lee or Daniel Jacobs and reach the big name big money status which at age 33 has still eluded him and trainer Abel Sanchez.
Former world middleweight champion Jermain Taylor remains unavailable, under arrest in Little Rock, Arkansas, for various charges stemming from three separate incidents.
Jorge Sebastian Helland, Chris Eubank Jr., Arif Magomedov, Ievgen Khytrov, Dominic Wade, Ryota Murata, Billy Jo Saunders, Maciej Suleki, Antoine Douglas, Hugo Centeno Jr., Andrey Muryasev, Kamil Szeremeta and Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Fernando Guerrero, Caleb Truax, Eamonn O’Kane, and Tureano Johnson, Brian Castano, and Rob Brant are but among the hungry name fighters looking for a piece of Golovkin and the middleweight money pie. As the hungry prospects rise towards a shot at GGG, which some of them will get, Golovkin has yet to prove himself on a big money big bookie draw level to the equivalent of a Sergio Gabriel Martinez or Sugar Ray Leonard at the top.
In less than 30 months, Golovkin will be 36 years old. The only other relative question is whether or not GGG will stay at 160 pounds, or move up to 168 pounds into the Andre Ward zone. Gerald ‘G-Man’McClellan stepped up to 168 pounds against Nigel Benn, and after knocking Bene through the ropes in the first round, took the ten count in round 10.
The middleweight division at 160 pounds has always been one of the most challenging and tricky for even the most talented of divisional bread and butter fighters to rise to the top and master. Hopkins, Hagler, and Monzon did it. Others, like Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Wilfredo Benitez, Juan Roldan, Emile Griffith, Felix Sturm, Felix Trinidad, William Joppy, Mustafa Hamsho, Iran Barkley, Roberto Duran, Cory Spinks, Ronald Winky Wright and Daniel Geale have been unable to hold the 160 pound top or stay there.
Gerald ‘G-Man’ McCellan’s jabs, hand speed, power shots, foot speed, variable game plan and plan of attack, tight defense, and rapid ability to find offensive openings and close the show would be an overall package GGG would be unable to handle. McClellan fought the great Julian Jackson twice, who went on to win the world middleweight title after Gerald McClellan’s sudden retirement. GGG has fought nobody of note. His next opponent, David Lemieux, fell like a sack of potatoes against Marco Antonio Rubio, and was unable to outpoint weak-chinned Joachim Alcine over 12 rounds. True, Lemieux has a piece of the paper title. In reality a rapid GGG knockout of Lemieux will do little to raise GGG’s stock. Rubio showed nothing against GGG. How can Lemieux fare better? Answer: he can’t.
GGG would like to build his name on the reputation of others. Quality combatants like Gerald ‘G-Man’ McClellan do not appear on GGG’s resume. If GGG had more quality names on his resume, boxing writers would put him in another class of fighter. Then too, which Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez or Miguel Cotto shows up to fight GGG could also affect the outcome. Thus far, GGG has shown no flaws in fighting technique, he just has not fought anybody besides a faded former junior middleweight champion Kassim Ouma. In that bout, Ouma, who had no training time on short notice, took Golovkin into the tenth round in a bout under normal circumstances in a six to eight week camp Ouma felt was winnable.
Comparisons between GGG and Gerald ‘G-Man’ McClellan are of interest because this reporter feels GGG is still beatable despite his aura of invincibility. By whom? That is the question of the hour. The questions surrounding GGG will be answered against quality opposition in a super fight. The biggest quality names out there are Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Saul Alvarez, Sergio Gabriel Martinez, Joshua Clottey, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (if he moves up in weight to 160 pounds as he did to fight Oscar De La Hoya) and Jermall Charlo (if he defeats Cornelius K2 Bundridge for the IBF World Junior Middleweight title next week).
Too bad Paul ‘The Punisher’ Williams never got better after his motorcycle accident a few years back. In his prime, this reporter would have picked Williams to outpoint Golovkin in an exciting fight of the year. After defeating Lemieux, it will be put up or shut up time for Golovkin in a super fight, or it will be back to fighting pretenders. Strangely, Oscar De La Hoya has been making statements to the effect Lemieux will knock out GGG in five rounds. That prospect is ridiculous. GG has enough ability to knockout BOTH Oscar De La Hoya and Lemieux within five rounds. If De La Hoya feels so strongly about his ability to defeat GGG, this reporter suggests Oscar fight GGG and prove it, but it wouldn’t last very long.
When we speak of GGG versus G-Man McClellan or Floyd, we are speaking in terms of a
Super fight between super warriors, and pay wise, they would be completely entitled if they faced each other. If GGG defeats both Alvarez and Cotto, a 100 million dollar purse for each fighter for GGG versus Floyd Mayweather Jr., even if it isn’t a good matchup, would be highly likely. Floyd is unwilling to fight above 154 pounds. Actually GGG versus Floyd has been considered, but only if GGG is willing to go down to 154 pounds, an impossibility.
Remember the great expression ‘Show me the money?’ GGG is still worthy of much better paydays than he is getting now. Floyd versus Pacquiao took too long to take place. If GGG versus Cotto or Alvarez is going to happen, it must happen in the near future for a high stakes purse, and for the sake of the general public while they still want it. Elsewise it will will soon be too late. GGG, despite his accomplishments, lacks the name recognition Cotto and Alvarez possess, and they won’t give up their drawing power for free to fight GGG.
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