Gennady “GGG” Golovkin A Real Champion, Miguel Cotto Is a Disgrace, Danny Jacobs Tsk Tsk for Weak Title Defenses & the Other Middleweight Champions Vying for the Top Spot

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By Roy “Sharpshooter” Bennett

“Is There No One Else”!–Achilles

So challenged Brad Pitt in the role of Achilles in the movie Troy after coldly dispatching another opponent who was sent to test his considerable fighting skills. One strike of his sword was enough to cause his enemy to expire. Gennady Golovkin may not carry a sword into the ring but he has the next best thing. Bricks for hands. The fighter known to fans as “GGG” has been sharpening his prodigious tools by fighting regularly and the KO victories continue to pile up.

Once he has softened his opponent up the heavy handed Kazakh bomber generally only needs one clean shot to end matters. Willie Monroe, JR. was the latest boxer to feel the destructive force of GGG’s punching prowess, absorbing a frightful beating while suffering three knockdowns and getting stopped in the sixth frame. But some pundits and fans remain unconvinced that his reputation as a destroyer of men is warranted and the incessant criticism of his level of opposition continues. Boxers considered a legitimate test before they climbed into the ring to face Golovkin are suddenly relegated to “bum” or “tomato can” status by the armchair critics after they are summarily beaten down and stopped inside the scheduled distance. Let me ask you this. Are you not entertained? What’s not to like about a fighter who crushes his foes in such ruthless fashion?

Regardless, the naysayers are demanding that “GGG” move north 8 lbs to super middleweight for a fight with Andre Ward. But no one can ignore the fact that unfinished business at middleweight remains and, for the time being, “GGG” wants to exercise his right to stay at 160 lbs and unify the titles just like his predecessors Bernard Hopkins and Marvin Hagler did. Hagler ruled the division with an iron fist and was revered for his dominance. Golovkin wants the opportunity to do the same thing and is vilified for it. How times have changed. Let’s use some reverse logic here. What’s stopping Ward from moving 7 lbs north to light heavyweight to fight Sergey Kovalev or Adonis Stevenson? I’ll wait for the excuses.

And while I’m waiting I’ll move on to my next topic. Will the real middleweight champion please stand up? Miguel Cotto, 40-4, 33 KO’s, might hold the lineal title but his refusal to defend it against contenders who weigh up to the full division limit of 160 lbs is a disgrace in my eyes. He might hold the belt but he cannot be considered the legitimate champion under these circumstances. Should Danny Jacobs, the WBA titleholder, be exempt from criticism in all of this? Not on my watch. Jacobs, 29-1, 26 KO’s, should be commended for overcoming cancer. That makes him a champion in life right there. But fighting against the likes of Jerrod Fletcher, Caleb Truax, and Sergio Mora in his next defense makes an absolute mockery of his WBA trinket.

If Jacobs is not willing to fight top level opposition he cannot seriously be considered “The Man” at middleweight. Maybe he’s fine with that. Maybe he’s not. To illustrate my point further consider this. You won’t find Fletcher, Truax, or Mora in the RSR Top 20 middleweight rankings. While Jacobs is a very skilled technician and has good punching power one can’t help but remember his crushing KO loss to the Russian switch hitter Dimitry Pirog. But more on the boxers from Eastern Europe another time. Maybe Al Haymon is thinking the same thing and matching Jacobs accordingly. And what of Andy Lee, 34-2-1, 24 KO’s, a protégé of the late Kronk guru Emmanuel Steward?

The Irishman is enjoying an Indian summer late in his career and won the WBO bauble by knocking out Matt Korobov with a huge right hook counter in six rounds. Make no mistake. Lee can punch. And the right hook is a threat to anyone in the division he can hit cleanly with it. After winning the title he then went on to fight a twelve round draw with the former titleholder Peter Quillin. Lee hit the deck twice in that fight but he made sure he returned the favor by knocking Quillin down once. Again the right hook was responsible. But take note. Lee is not a one handed puncher. He can crack with the left hand too. No matter who’s camp you’re in beware. I wouldn’t sleep on the Irishman.

The tall, long armed, southpaw puncher is a clear and present danger to anyone at the weight as long as he’s still upright. His chilling KO win over John Jackson is all the warning you should need. David Lemieux, 34-2, 31 KO’s, recently picked up the IBF trinket by bashing seven shades of stuffing out of the too tough for his own good Hassan N’Dam, scoring four knockdowns and winning by a wide points margin in the process. The French Canadian slugger is born again after changing trainers in the wake of suffering two defeats, a stoppage loss to Marco Antonio Rubio and a points loss to Joachim Alcine back in 2011. In the interim he has added caution to his attack, moves his head more, and now uses a jab to set up his heavy hooks as he trundles forward. But he still can’t fight going backwards and has slow feet. However, he’s fun to watch and is dangerous with the left hook, his money punch.

If he’s allowed to get into close range and wing away with power shots he’s capable of doing substantial damage. So there you have it. “Champions”everywhere but who’s The Man? There are several promotional entities behind the 5, yes five, middleweight belt holders and we still don’t have a real champion. Cotto is with Roc Nation Sports, Jacobs is with PBC Network , Golovkin is with K2 Promotions and fights on HBO, Lee is with DiBella Promotions, and Lemieux is with Golden Boy Promotions. The fans demanding “GGG” prove his worth should start banging the drums for the middleweight mess to be sorted out once and for all. Put pressure on the promoters by voting with your wallets and your feet.

As consumers we’re being short changed across the board. They’re peddling a sub standard product. We should stop buying PPV’s and fight tickets until we get what we want. When PPV viewing figures and gate receipts are down the message will be clear. If promoters want us to spend our hard earned dollars on watching boxing, make the best fights to determine the best boxers in each weight class. At middleweight all roads should rightfully go through Gennady Golovkin at some point. Miguel Cotto is not up to the job. That much is clear. Let’s see the real champion stand up. It’s the only way the sport can begin to regain the respect it once had.

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