Did Gennadiy Golovkin have the ability to unify the Super Middleweight division if that were his mission, gunning for title shots starting at somewhere around 2010? Let's say with no political hold ups. Here is a reference as to who were the Champions during this period. IBF 2007-2012 /Lucian Bute 2012-2015 / Carl Froch 2015 -2017/ James Degale 2017-2018 / Caleb Truax 2018-2018/ James Degale WBC 2010 -2010/ Mikkel Kessler 2010 -2011/ Carl Froch 2011 -2013/ Andre Ward 2013 -2014/ Sakio Bika 2014- 2015/ Anthony Dirrell 2015 -2017/ Badou Jack 2017 -2018/ David Benavidez WBA 2009 -2015/ Andre Ward Super Champ 2009 -2011/ Dimitri Sartson ( regular) 2011-2012 / Karoly Balzay regular 2012 -2012/ Brian McGee regular 2012 -2013/ Mikkel Kessler regular 2013 -2015/ Carl Froch regular 2015 - 2016/ Fedor Chudinov Super 2015 -2016/ Felix Sturm Super 2016 -2016 /Giovanni De Carolis regular 2016 -2018 / Tyron Zeuge regular 2017 -2018 / George Groves Super 2018 -2018 / Rocky Fielding regular WBO 2009 -2012 / Robert Stieglitz 2012 - 2013 / Arthur Abraham 2013 -2014 / Robert Stieglitz 2014 -2016 / Arthur Abraham 2016 -2019 / Gilbert Ramirez 2019 -2021 / Billy Joe Saunders Golovkin was a natural middleweight but he competed in the amateurs at 165lbs so he could have done it. Imagine all the great fights that could have been made. How do you think it would have went if GGG'S primary goal was unification of the 168lb division?
For me, if Golovkin was already fighting at 168lbs for a few years and a contender, comfortable with the weight, challenge for Stieglitz WBO title in 2011. Then go after his old opponent from the amateurs Lucien Bute's IBF title in 2012. As you may already know, Golovkin stopped Bute in the amateurs. Then fight Andre Ward in 2013 for his WBA super and WBC titles. How do you think GGG fares in these endeavors? Could Golovkin beat these guys? If he stops Stieglitz and Bute, could he defeat Ward?
Golovkin cleans them up and then everybody complains about the load of bums he fought and how he needs to go to 175. I can see it now. "Ward was never any good who did he beat, really? His opponents were one dimensional or faded."
Part of what got me thinking about this is the amount of times I read people saying Golovkin never tested himself by going up for bigger challenges. So I was thinking, he would have to really get an early start on his goals at the weight, and get to Ward before he moves up. If he beats those two aforementioned fighters, then beats Ward, then he's undisputed. At which point he can defend against guys like Froch, Abraham, and Kessler. If he were to lose to Ward, they can have a return match or Golovkin can continue to challenge other champs like Abraham, Froch and Kessler. As you can see there is alot of fighters at 168lbs to fight and defeat. No matter how you slice it, he would have a great chance to unify that division between 2011 and 2018, while he was still near his best.
I absolutely think he could have done it. But 160 was seen as a harder division during his reign. You could argue that maybe this was due to the need to hype up fights, but certainly 168 was never seen as much more than a wasteland with maybe 2-3 tough guys in it at any one time.
So, are there any of these 168lb Champs that you would favor to defeat a prime 168lb GGG? Ward, Froch,Bute,Kessler Abraham,!?? Would he carrie his power? Any more thoughts?
Ward is probably the only one in that bunch that could beat GGG. I don't see any one else on that list doing it.
