GGG face to face with "Lights Out '' at middleweight. IYO, who takes the win? I'm going for Golovkin by split decision.
Toney on his very best day would make GGG look inept and clueless. Golovkin's power won't faze James, he has nothing to worry about skill-wise, it's just the pressure that worries me. If Kell Brook can find GGG's chin and give it him back (although GGG was ill), James might batter him senseless. I see the combos that James lands on Barkley and I think "GGG has NEVER seen anything like that before". And if GGG is having a hard time finding Canelo (who I think is absolutely fantastic) due to his defensive skills, what chance does he have of finding Toney? I LOVE Golovkin. He's a breath of fresh air and a throwback, but Toney was incredible on his best day.
I'd be interested to see who pushes the action. Toney struggled against Jirov because he kept coming forward.
What a fight this would be. Both guys are so technically great and have iron chins I see this going to the cards for sure. GGG would be pressing behind the jab while Toney would be countering. I like JT by decision in a very close fight. One thing about 160/68 Toney was he really had incredible speed and reflexes. Over time as he moved up in weight, he relied more on his great skill and toughness. I really think GGG is a special fighter but the James Toney that beat Nunn and McCallum would hit him more than anyone he has been in with at this point including Canelo. Toney by UD in a tough physical fight.
I've always thought that Golovkin, while an excellent puncher and very willing fighter, is a shade overrated from a technical standpoint, and this would be magnified to a huge degree against Toney. That said, Toney wasn't as active and sharp at 160 as he was at 168, so Golovkin's pressure on the front foot would steal rounds and make it a relatively close fight on the cards - closer than the talent gap between the pair would suggest, anyway. Nevertheless I think a peak Toney is a higher class fighter than Golovkin, and would walk away with the decision.
I think Gennady will push the action and "make"the bout and GGG would be keeping a high work rate. James is defensively canny with a great chin, he'll make it hard for Gennady to catch him cleanly, so he'll make Golovkin work hard for the win. GGG has a solid chin too so I like a Golovkin points win.
Probably Toney but wouldn’t be a surprise to see Golovkin get Toney in one of those fights where he gets our worked. Both guys made of granite so not much chance of getting hurt. Toney is light years ahead in skills so he should win but GGG can pop that jab well and be busy with it. It’s how he dominated Canelo (twice for me though second a little closer but that had more to do with age and the juice in Canelo’s system).
Golovkin is technically sound with a good jab and underrated defense. However, he is somewhat predictable and doesn't usually "shift gears" or do anything unexpected. He'd be a little too orthodox for his own good against a guy like Toney who picks up on habits and mistakes. Combine that with the fact Toney has the advantage in hand speed, defense, and that Toney is too tough to get stopped (zero punchers chance) and you're looking at a very high possibility that Toney outpoints G. Even if Golovkin manages to consistently land his jab and has success with power punches, Toney would promptly take things to the inside and dismantle Golovkin. He would have no answer for Toney's smothering body work, uppercuts and shoulder rolls.
Can you name the three greatest victories by an Under 25 Middleweight boxer in the last 50 years? James Toney was only 24 during this middleweight prime. You need experience in MW to pick up the big win
