Make no mistake about it, October 17th’s massive unification showdown with IBF middleweight champion David Lemieux will be the highest profile fight of Gennady Golovkin’s career, and whether or not you agree with the assertion of Golovkin’s trainer Abel Sanchez that Lemieux won’t be his toughest test, Golovkin himself admits he feels the pressure of such a big occasion.
Speaking to BehindtheGloves.com, Golovkin – in his inimitable brand of broken English – said of the PPV event that has broken pre-sale ticket records at the fabled Madison Square Garden.
“It’s (the fight) very exciting, amazing for me… and scary!,” he said.
“I’m a little scared. I am a regular guy, I’m not a crazy guy – maybe 1% – because I understand my situation. I understand this is a sport, not a game.
“This is scary. I am scared. Why not?”
You’d probably have to possess the steely nerve of a serial killer not to feel the pressure in an event of this magnitude, and the destructive Kazakh also feels – in contrary to Sanchez – that Lemieux IS his biggest test to date, and he expects the new IBF champion to be ready for his chance to sit atop the 160 lb division, and ultimately challenge the victor of November’s Cotto/Canelo super-fight;
“He’s (Lemieux) my toughest yet,” Golovkin added.
“It’s very interesting. This is a big step for me. It’s not just his power, it’s his mentality. He’s serious and he’s not scared. He is a very hungry guy. He’s a champion, the IBF champion, so it’s a big thing.”
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