Is Golovkin an ATG in your opinion? Did he dominate a weak era? Great or just very good? If you see him a great, can you see him beating other top names for middleweight history?
He is an all-time great who dominated a weak division. With his jab, power, and chin, I could see him dominating all but the top 5 or so in the history of the division. And maybe he even beats them. Or maybe he loses to all of the top 20? We’ll never know.
Of course he is an ATG. Dominated his era and has the most defences in MW history. Didn't do just enough to win like most others but usually hammered the opposition into the ground. He also passes the eyetest - a very polished style based around one of the greatest jabs to be seen in the ring. Didn't rely on crazy twitch reflexes or athleticism since his career was built at an age where most other greats had long retired. He was also the most avoided fighter I've seen in his prime. Guys were vacating their belts, losing their pens and asking for more money to fulfil their mandatory challenges. Since when does the champion pay MORE money to get a challenger in the ring? There were quite a few big names that could have had him in the ring had they wanted to, but most of them found excuses to be elsewhere. Let's hear it from Cotto: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0qa8KH7dqlw
lt's difficult like. I think he did enough in the top five, yeah. He beat enough good guys. But I think the people that answer "yes" quickly are tending to give him one or more fights against Canelo, and that's not what happened.
No not for me he falls into the same category as Hill, Michalczewski, fighters that made alot of title defences but didn't have a great resume. I would deem Golovkin as very good or as a lower tier great but not a ATG. Golovkin did look more impressive than the fighters above, and I suppose H2H he would rate higher aswell which is another plus for Golovkin. But alot of his resume comes down to the controversial Canelo fights, and whilst I do think he did deserve the win in their 1st fight. I see no problem with Canelo winning fights 2 and 3, which still would mean Golovkin is 1-2 vs Canelo. And let's not forget Golovkin did win a few close decisions himself that went his way Jacobs, Derevyanchenko. But overall not enough stand out wins/performances on his resume against real top fighters for me to rank him as an ATG.
Good call, I think he was very good but not great due to the solid reasons you listed. Very good fighters could upset a great one on occasion but the middleweight division historically is packed with men I think are better than him. I had a higher opinion of him at one time but the fight you mentioned gave me pause, Jacobs. Then there was the Canelo fight, I just thought he didn't step up like a great fighter should have in that one. I sorta hope he's retired because it would be sad to watch him go out badly against some lesser fighter like Eubank jr.
I looked at GGG's resume just now to remind myself of his resume and it truly is weak. What's his best win? Lemieux? Kell Brook, Kassim Ouma, Jacobs? I know ,I thought he won the first Canelo fight too but he sure wasn't a force in that fight either . So, what was his best win?
lol @ people who base a resume off a 'best win'. I guess Douglas is an ATG because he managed to beat prime Tyson.
In terms of head-to-head, he's definitely up there as one of the best middleweights but in terms of what he actually did, he misses it for me. Jacobs, Lemieux and SD just aren't particularly impressive IMO. And he had nine defences in his first run, not twenty.
No. Avoided too many fighters and fought Canelo in a way that is not attributed to all time greats. Especially in the rematch. In that fight he not perform in a manner that says - i refuse to be denied. He fought timid against the A-side when he should have went all out to win. He just didn't take himself out of his comfort zone in the biggest fghts of his career so for that he cannot stand alongside all those that did.
Would have liked to have seen him in the post Hagler division. That would have told us a wee bit more about him. Not a great era but some solid names.
He would be facing the likes of McCallum, Toney, Nunn, Kalambay, he definitely wouldn't of stayed undefeated vs that competition.