The top two middleweights in the world squared it off at the Salle des Étoiles in Monte Carlo, Monaco last night with the WBA/IBO regular and WBC interim titles at stake and it seemed only fair for this fight to take place in Europe. Both combatants grew up on opposite ends of this continent but one of them may have inadvertently wandered off it on a regular basis. Murray is strictly branded as a European although as an islander he might have second thoughts about continental bondage. Golovkin’s continental status is a little more complicated as he comes from Kazakhstan and this vast land stretches through parts of Europe and Central Asia. Golovkin could have walked at times with one leg in Europe and the other in Asia. His father is Russian and his mother is Korean, so GGG is the proverbial Eurasian by birth and by country.
Gennady Golovkin
Gennady Golovkin boxing news
Martin Murray should have been the first man to take Golovkin the full twelve
The impressive thing about Murrays performance was that he found a way to avoid enough of Golovkins work to survive and what he couldn’t avoid he took well. He was knocked down two times in the fourth round mainly due to body work from Golovkin, but would then rally and get it together through the later rounds. Before a third knockdown which came in the tenth. By the time the eleventh round began Murray was visibly fatigued and did not look as though he was going to be able to keep up the fight for another six minutes.
Sanchez – Ward ‘two or three fights away’
In an interview with ThaBoxingVoice, trainer for middleweight KO machine Gennady Golovkin – Abel Sanchez discussed a potential matchup between triple G and the former king of the 168lb division Andre Ward.
Ward was rated by many fans and media sources as the number 2 pound for pound fighter after Mayweather in the sport for a good amount of time. Legal troubles have kept him out of the ring with just one appearance since 2012 against an undefeated, but limited Edwin Rodriguez. That was an easy decision for Ward, but now with a new contract, fans are looking for Ward to get back in the mix against the best fighters out there.
Martin Murray reacts to stoppage defeat at the hands of Gennady Golovkin
‘First time I have been properly beat, and first time I have been stopped.’
In an interview with IFL TV after his fight with triple G it was obvious the disapointment that Martin Murray was feeling. He put in a spirited effort and did a lot more than many thought he was capable, but eventually was beaten by the king of the Middleweight division.
Murray showed good sportsmanship in saying it was a pleasure to share the ring with such a good fighter, but felt as though there was nothing more he could do in the ring to pull off the upset. Murray discussed the fact that in his career he had never been put down by any head or bodyshot and dealing with that for the first time in his career, three times in the fight was tough.
Abel Sanchez – Canelo doesn’t last 8, Cotto won’t go 5 with GGG
Abel Sanchez, the trainer for rising star and long time champ Gennady Golovkin has a lot of words for his fighter when discussing the biggest fights in the sport. This interview took place just prior to the Murray fight and Sanchez was saying it would be good for Golovkin to go the full 12 in preparation for these super fights. That fight ended up going 11 rounds, which is the longest of Golovkins career and if Sanchez is correct in his estimates then Murray lasted longer than either Cotto or Alvarez would.
I do see where Sanchez is coming from with these statements.
Golovkin destroys Murray; Fury defeats Rudenko
Murray looked a lot bigger than Golovkin tonight, and that might be one of the reasons why he was able to survive for so long. Murray looked at least 180 pounds, and he appeared to have a significant weight advantage over Golovkin. The fight was like watching a talented middleweight take on a light heavyweight or a small cruiserweight without power.
Martin Murray: Still paying his dues
In an era rich in superfluous World title variations the term ‘paying your dues’ just doesn’t carry the same weight as it once did.
Unless of course you’re referring to fighters like Martin Murray, 29-1-1 (12KO’s), who today challenges arguably the most feared man in boxing – Gennady Golovkin, 31-0 (28KO’s) – in Monte Carlo.
It’s Murray’s third World title tilt and his most difficult to date. To say that about a man whose previous attempts came against Felix Sturm in Germany and Sergio Martinez in Argentina illustrates the enormity of the task at hand.
Golovkin vs. Murray: Martin plans to ruin GGG’s yearly European vacation
Gennady Golovkin meets Martin Murray in a place very familiar to each with Golovkin’s middleweight titles on the line. Most of the debate stateside for the outcome of this bout is not about who will win but how long Martin Murray can last. The majority of experts feel Murray doesn’t have the right style or enough power to keep Triple G off of him. Many believe at some point Martin’s pipes will burst under Gennady’s constant pressure.
This fight will mark the third time Martin will have challenge for a world title, the first coming in a draw to former 160 pound champ Felix Sturm. The second came against the lineal middleweight champion at the time, Sergio Martinez. Both contests were razor close decisions that could have gone Murray’s way had he not be the road fighter in the champions home country. Monte Carlo isn’t a home affair for Martin it is however somewhere he’s comfortable with and could help him if this fight goes the distance.
Golovkin vs Murray: Weigh-In Video
The HBO telecast from the Salle des Etoiles venue in Monte Carlo is a special presentation featuring reigning world middleweight title-holder Gennady Golovkin, seeking his 13th successful middleweight title defense, against challenger Martin Murray.
Official Weights from Monte Carlo:
Martin Murray: “It doesn’t bother me that Golovkin hits hard”
World middleweight title challenger Martin Murray has heard all about the reputation of Gennady Golovkin, his next opponent, and respects the fact he’s widely considered the hardest puncher in all of boxing right now. But that doesn’t mean the Briton is overawed or fearful of the imposing Kazakh.
In fact, rather than hide from the reality of the situation, Murray has instead confronted it head on and says he’s looking forward to sampling Golovkin’s power when the pair clash on Saturday (February 21) in Monte Carlo.