Gennady Golovkin has knocked out 19 straight foes, and has become one of boxing's most avoided fighters. Willie Monroe Jr., his opponent on May 16, did not avoid Golovkin. He has accepted the challenge and believes Golovkin is more worried about this bout than people may think.
"My arms are a lot longer than his, so I have some physical advantages. But if you watch the staredown between me and Triple G, look at his eyes, man. He looks a little concerned," Monroe Jr. said.
Monroe Jr.'s comments are eyebrow-raising. Golovkin has met big punchers like Curtis Stevens, and durable veterans like Gabe Rosado and Martin Murray already and been able to put them down. Monroe Jr. is 19-1-0 with only six knockouts, so fear seems unlikely to be part of the equation. Don't tell that to Monroe Jr., however.
"It's not like the staredown he did with Curtis Stevens and Matthew Macklin. Even the staredown he did against Gabe Rosado, and Rosado towers over him by a good 2 1/2 inches. His staredown with me, if you look in his eyes, he looks a little bit concerned. He looks like he thinks he's bit off a little bit more than he can chew."
Even hardcore fans might be unfamiliar with Monroe Jr., whose biggest win is over journeyman Brian Vera, who is best known for losing twice to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He does present some stylistic challenges that may be new to Golovkin.
He's a slick fighter, and southpaws tend to be awkward opponents even if there's a talent gap. Golovkin said part of the reason he took this fight was to test himself against a defensive-minded left-hander.
"We chose Monroe because he is young and is a very interesting fighter," Golovkin said. "He's a good mover and he isn't scared to fight. It will bring a new challenge to me. If you look at his last fight, it was a good fight. It's going to be a good fight for me because he's a mover and a lefty; I think it will be a good test for me."
Really though, the main reason he's facing Monroe is because he likes to stay active and WBC champion Miguel Cotto does not want to fight him at this point in time. Cotto agreed this week to face Daniel Geale in June, whom Golovkin knocked out in three rounds last summer.
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