Translated GGG interview

Gennady Golovkin, Kazakhstan’s boxing icon, is a rare guest back home. Even more scarce are the journalist who get a chance to sit down with Gennady and have a close eye-to-eye. In this exclusive interview, provided by Tengrinews.kz и Vesti.kz , Gennady tells us about the inaccurate image which journalists and boxing fans have developed about him, about his rapport with Saul Alvarez, his relationship with his promoter, and why he doesn’t enjoy being interviewed.

Gennady, during a press conference you were asked about Dominc Wade, designated by the IBF to be your next opponent. You answered that you don’t know who they’re talking about. Did you really not know, or did you misunderstand the journalist’s question, or is it that the IBF statements are false?

I can’t say if that’s true or not true. I don’t have access to that information. If someone calls and tells me “Gennady, this is IBF, we changed your contender”……. This isn’t an opponent, it’s just a contender. There is a rating system. Who is the first in that rating… remind me… John? Johnson?

Tureano Johnson

Yes, him. I heard he got an injury. I don’t know who will be next. Maybe it will be this kid you’re talking about.

Also, judging from what was said at the press-conference, you’ve not had any negotiations with Korobov either? Because he declared that he is ready to have a fight.

He agreed? Can you even imagine the world of boxing? How many people claim to be ready.

You have to understand, the majority of information that we get here about you comes from foreign press. It is difficult to ascertain what is really going on with you.

I’m happy to hear that Matvej Korobov is active and that he’s ready to box. I’m happy for him, as I know him personally. Cool cat, good athlete. I’m happy that he’s active as he’s had both wins and loses.

On a number of occasions you’ve voiced your goal for the year: to fight Saul Alvarez. We’d like to discuss this further, particularly the claims that he’s ducking you, and that his team is making all kinds of excuses, demanding extravagant concessions. What are you willing to give up to have this fight? Catch weight? Purse? Location? Are you willing to fight him in Mexico? How long will you keep waiting if Alvarez continues to duck you?

I don’t think those are his terms, or his thoughts for that matter. These are things his management and promotion team throw out there. It’s how they PR their fighter, and it’s how they PR their company. It’s how they want to show people how cool they are. If this fight happens, and this fight will happen! This is a PR move, hell, they can even say that I’ll fight him for free, it’s all just PR.

So your position in this situation is?

In the affirmative. I will box. If they truly want to box, we will box, because I am ready.

Are you willing to drop down to 155?

What weight are you talking about?

The weight of 155 pounds, which Saul’s team says are one of the conditions of them fighting you.

The information at your disposal is nothing but drama, PR bull**** put on by his promoters.

So you’re saying the fight will only happen at 160 pounds?

Yes. There are rules.

What kind of relationship do you have with Alvarez? He says that your friendship will come to an end when you meet together in the ring. Are you friends with him?

We have a normal relationship. You know, people skills. Of course when we’ll be in the ring we’ll be professional athletes. We won’t be enemies, just professional fighters.

Would like to hear your comment regarding the politics of WBC. It was mentioned more than once that they like to market their favorite fighters, like Alvarez for instance, allowing him to have title defenses or delay his title fight (with you). Is there a reason to oppose their decisions?

Those who like to criticize are usually ill-informed. Everything is within the borders of what is allowed. Everything is within the legal framework.

So nothing serious is happening?

Yes. The critics don’t know anything. Those people, who aren’t aware of what’s involved, the people involved, the situation, they just spew out negative commentary, which gets gobbled up and adds colour to the whole thing.

How are we supposed to know what constitutes drama? As we said, we have very little first hand information about you here in Kazakhstan.

Yes, I’ll agree.

And meetings with Gennady Golovkin are very rare

For sure

And during your press conferences you certainly say a lot…

Yep

• With reserve….
  

Let me explain. Your question: “one blogger saw something somewhere heard someone say something, so like about maybe kinda. I appreciate specific questions about the business at hand. I appreciate professionalism. Why aren’t there such interviews? Why bother talking about what kind of cartoons I watched as a child.. that doesn’t interest me. I represent professional boxing. Yes, I’m a citizen of Kazakhstan, yes I have a personal life. My interest with social media is only with regards to professional boxing. Please ask specific questions. Your prep is lacking. Boxing is a very straight forward idea, you don’t have to muddle it with talk of business and all that other stuff.

Hey, if there were five other Golovkins in Khazakstan, maybe you’d be getting different questions…

So I’m telling you, prepare with boxing specific questions. Boxing is so simple… three punches: straight, hook, uppercut. The questions have to be specific and well understood.

Okay, a boxing question; maybe you can dispel for us a myth. Did Andre Ward really offer you a fight?

I don’t even want to talk about this guy. Not gonna say anything. ..

It’s no secret that quality promotion in professional boxing is important. Your fans have often criticized your choice in opponents. Have you had any offers to change promoter?

Change promoter?

Yes

I have my own promotion.

They say you should get rid of Tom Loffler

Listen to me. I have my own promotion. Change? To who? Top Rank? Golden Boy? They’re no better.

K2?

Da hell does K2 have to do with it

Doesn’t Tom Loffler work for K2?

He’s licensed under K2… but has no relationship with the Klitchko brothers. I have no affiliations with them at all. He’s licensed, sure, but he works for me.

And you don’t want to change him?

As a specialist?

Yes

You have to understand, if I do that I won’t be true to myself. This person is part of my team… he’s not just a promoter.. people don’t understand what they’re talking about.

Understood

I’ll elaborate. In the boxing world I have a slightly different position, a different situation than the rest. Not, how I should say, favorable. It’s difficult for me to negotiate fights with people. More difficult to organize the event, because I’m in this position. There are good people [fighters?], who understand this differently, and it’s not because they have a different promoter.

Is it because you’re not an American?

No, because this is professional boxing. What does being an American have to do with it? Name one American boxer… other than Floyd.

I wanted to say… Floyd.

You have to understand, Floyd is a national project! Like, name me another American fighter.

Are you saying Andre Ward isn’t an American?

…………..Ward… You have to understand, it’s more difficult for me.

American news media outlets criticize Gennady Golovkin for a lack of showmanship outside the ring: no wild claims, no fights, no drama. Are you not interested in that? Are you satisfied with only putting on a good show in the ring?

It’s enough for me.

Maybe it would help your PR?

The things that people say about me is enough.

Like “good boy”

That’s not my image. Good Boy… that’s what you’d call a young man with perspective. When you call him a good boy, you’re telling him “you’re all right kid, you’ve got a future ahead of you.” This is what I mean when I say good boy.

Well, people might not get that, for people here you’re just Good-Guy-Gennady, who likes to bash people’s faces in

No. What I say after a fight is meant as a brief assessment. “Yes, you’re alright, you have drive, you’re a good boy.” It’s not meant to be translated literally or to have any sort of deep meaning. Most understand me, that I’m different. (personal note, I think he’s underestimating that people don’t actually truly understand what he means when he says good boy…)

You say that you’re interested in talking about professional boxing. But you were a novice too at one point. For instance, not too long ago we did a video segment titled “Box like Gena,” which talked about how interest in boxing is on the rise [in Kazakhstan], that parents are bringing in their kids to boxing gyms, that adults are picking it up as a hobby. You say that you achieved your greatness through hard work. How did you achieve such discipline? What works for you? Do you read? Meditate? Yoga?

I’m glad to hear that kids are going to the gym based on my example. Setting goals and achieving them is only one thing. That they’re going to the gym, it’s a good thing. But.. it’s not that simple. Discipline, is everything put together; it’s desire, dedication, hard work, everything in one. What I’m trying to say, I think that any person is capable of achieving a lot.

Did you have any notable mentors that played a role in your development?

 

I’m glad that I had a good base education and went to a good school. When I was first brought into a gym, I was introduced to an excellent specialist, a fantastic educator, Victor Dmitriev. We worked for a while before I transferred to Galim Kenzhabaev. These two specialists gave me the basics of amateur boxing. Then I transferred to professional box, where everything is different.

So while you focus your commentary on professional boxing, you have to understand that you have a much wider audience. We would like for every interview to be helpful and interesting to as many people as possible. Like right now, people like the idea of following a “rules of life” (credo, ethics, etc). What are your rules?

Here’s a rule: don’t post on social media. This is a suggestion.

An observation, we noticed that a lot of times journalists don’t feel satisfied with the quality of your answers.

There weren’t any questions

No questions, or is it because you are careful to pick your words and don’t want to state too many opinions?

In that regard, sure. As you can see, I’m a closed person. I don’t want to babble on about everything. I just don’t have time for that; and I feel like there’s no point to it.

So no favorite books or movies?

I don’t want to talk about that. No… no books, no films. That’s something else. That’s upbringing.

So upbringing?

Yes, a way of life.

So I gather you’re not the smiling good guy that people portray you as?

I don’t want to say that I’m not a good guy.. i’m not a bad guy. I’m just different from the way that my image has developed.

So in your words, what kind of image has developed? Gennady, the good guy from Karagandi (his home town)

The image of this guy with a big happy smile. They think it is from some sort of happy-go-lucky attitude towards life, or maybe from being a simple man. No, this is not the case.

So maybe from your charm?

No, I wouldn’t say that.

Let’s break it down. People form opinions, they start to believe in something, then they voice their opinions on social media. Then you get drama and intrigue, something changes, now they start to hate the person, then they love him again. Then something happens somewhere and some PR company makes a claim saying like “ohh look what Gennady said about so and so, he’s this and that, but he didn’t say anything about that guy, so he probably thinks that thing about him.”

For instance, you talk about Alvarez. Did Alvarez ever tell you these things that you’re hearing? When he says something, that’s when you can start to take it seriously.

If you see me say something on record, then you can go ahead and say “Gennady said so and so.” This is the truth and it is on record. These PR guys put words in my mouth, whether I said this about this guy, or if that trainer is good, or that trainer is bad. I don’t give opinions on people, it’s not who I am. “Golovkin says this about that promoter,” that’s not me. I have my craft (boxing), and I’m working on it. Those that don’t have any worthy input aren’t a part of my entourage, they have nothing to do with me. The only people around me are professionals who are good at what they do, nobody else.

So like you said as general advice, write less on social media?

express less opinions

then I guess spend less time online in general?

Why? Spend time online, if you have it.

Do you think that spending time on social media is bad?

I don’t think for others

Observing your video interviews, we see a big improvement in your English (my comment, I feel this was meant as sarcasm)

There’s just enough progress to get the job done. I don’t plan on becoming an American… what I know is enough to get by, I want to maintain a balance, I don’t want to Americanize.

So you actively ignore English training?

I have knowledge and a working command of the language…. In truth I’m a much different person.

Another observation. Recently you were in England and did an interview in a stadium… I feel like you are much nicer to foreign journalists.. or was that just my imagination?

I behave myself properly with everyone.

you’ve destroyed all perceptions that we’ve had of you

Yes.. that image? I don’t know, these perceptions, these fake masks that the people create.. Like right now you formed your own opinion. Whether bad or good, it is a reflection on you and you hold on to it.

 

A bit antisocial.

 

I don’t think this is totally the case and wouldn’t be limited to the EE - I assume safely guys like Floyd Patterson wouldn’t enjoy walking out with laser shows and cussing someone’s mother out for PPVs.