The most obvious question about Gennadiy Golovkin going into his title-unification bout with Ryota Murata on Saturday: How much will he have left at 40 years old?
Tom Loeffler, Triple-G’s longtime promoter, said skeptical fans are going to be surprised. And not just in regard to this fight, which will take place in Murata’s native Japan (DAZN). He believes his fighter has a lot more to give at the highest level of the sport.
“Gennadiy can fight as long as he wants to,” Loeffler told Boxing Junkie a few hours after he and Golovkin arrived in Japan. “… Physically and mentally he looks so good right now. I really see him doing well against Murata.
“And if he beats Murata and becomes unified champion, he’ll be having many more big fights as long as she wants.”
Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) looked like the offensive machine of old in his most-recent fight, a seventh-round knockout of Kamil Szeremeta in December 2020. The Pole went down four times in the one-sided fight.
Loeffler expects more of the same because he believes Golovkin is a young 40. He turns the big 4-0 on Friday.
“He lives very clean,” Loeffler said. “So I think you’ll see that at 39, about to be 40, you’ll see a guy who fights like he’s still in his mid-30s. With punching power one of the last things to go, I think you’ll see an impressive performance.
“I think a victory in a unification fight at 40 would be a huge statement.”
And it probably will lead to something much bigger.
If Golovkin wins on Saturday, he’s expected to face arch rival Canelo Alvarez in a long-awaited third fight on Sept. 17. No deal has been struck but all parties appear to want the fight, which is among the most-lucrative possible.
Conventional wisdom is that Golovkin must beat Murata and Alvarez must do the same against light heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol on May 7, although it would still be a big fight if Alvarez loses.
“The momentum is moving in that direction,” said Loeffler, referring to the prospect of Golovkin-Alvarez III. “If he can beat Bivol and Gennadiy beats Murata, once again it’s one of biggest fights in the sport of boxing.”
Golovkin and Alvarez fought to a draw in 2017, although most observers believe the Kazakhstani did enough to win. And Alvarez won a close decision in the rematch a year later.
Alvarez is 31 and in his prime. Could Golovkin possibly compete with him at 40?
Of course, we’ll have a better idea when he fights the capable Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) on Saturday. At the same time, there’s a big gap in ability between Murata and Alvarez.
Loeffler knows one thing.
“The way he looks right now,” he said, “he could easily fight at a high level into his early 40s.”
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