Golovkin vs Brook: Reflections on a sensational night of boxing
Sunday 11 September 2016 23:19, UK
Gennady Golovkin marches on as Kell Brook wins respect in defeat. Here's what we learned from 'the big drama show'...
The man machine
There is nobody quite like Gennady Golovkin. The freakish brutality and pure fight that lives in the Kazakh was there for all to see as he swept aside a remarkably composed and technically superior performance from Brook. He embraces threat. Then he eliminates it.
His subdued appearances in the latter stages of fight week led some to claim he was suffering with everything from illness to jet-lag to road rage. He was certainly not as economical in his work as usual; seemingly frustrated by Brook's artistic defiance. If anything, that provided a platform for his sheer physicality to shine the brighter.
Golovkin has rarely seemed in such a rush. There were few of the surgeon-like combinations that have wowed fans the world over and much more a one-track desire to overwhelm his opponent and prove that no middleweight - least of all one he deems a masquerading welterweight - can waylay him on his path of destruction.
Skills for days
It was a stunning effort from challenger Brook, who seemed stumbled in the first half of the very first round. The in-running odds of an early Golovkin stoppage must have tumbled when the left hook downstairs was followed by one to the head but by the end of the same session, Brook had established himself with a thundering uppercut.
The fact Golovkin seemed to nod, appreciate and almost welcome Brook's attempts to pull off a stunning upset with full-blooded blows of his own should not detract from their accuracy. Nor should it be assumed that the champion was telling the whole truth when he claimed afterwards that he had not been hurt by any of his victim's shots.
Put simply, although on paper he was stopped early, Brook never once visited the canvas and dominated the second round against a pound-for-pound great two divisions above the one in which his champion status lies. He boxed beautifully and if ever there are victories in fifth-round losses, this qualifies.
Merciful cornerwork
They booed Dominic Ingle for leaping atop the ring apron and frantically waving a white towel over the rope. The referee took his time to see it and eventually it was thrown at his feet with Brook trapped on the ropes, Golovkin unloading his disdain with hooks off both hands.
During the post-fight interviews, they booed Ingle again when he declined to speak on the basis he had lost his voice. Brook was certainly 'in' the fight but from as early as the second, the hero of Wincobank was pawing at his right eye with alarm. At the time of writing, most believe he's suffered a broken eye socket.
Brook was seen remonstrating with his mentor in the aftermath and given he was fighting so brilliantly, the crowd were also irritated with the spectacle being cut short. There's no doubt that Ingle knows his man and his capabilities best though, and there's also no doubt that Golovkin seemed to be clicking into gear. Trainer may have saved brave fighter from worse injury.
The weight debate
Will Brook return to welterweight? Will he immediately switch for a shot at a super-welterweight title? Would that performance have dethroned the other two world middleweight champions, Billy Joe Saunders or Daniel Jacobs? It's all up in the air.
Golovkin dismissed Brook as a 160lb fighter in the aftermath and says he was "not that strong." Harsh, you feel, and by registering more success than almost any other Golovkin victim [even if Martin Murray lasted twice as long], Brook proved he now has options at three different weight divisions. Not a bad position to be in.
The Amir Khan question mark will be scribbled all over his future unless and until they meet and while that may yet take place at 154lbs anyway, facing the winner of Liam Smith v Saul Alvarez sounded like it was top of his wish-list when he was asked about his next assignment. Meeting IBF world welterweight mandatory challenger Errol Spence is also on the table.
A Ward of warning
Away from the glitz of the main event, the closest to an undercard show-stealer was Martin J Ward, who breezed to the vacant British super-featherweight title with a systematic dismantling of the heavy-handed Andy Townend. It was a clear-cut coming-of-age performance from the Tony Sims student.
Ward has frustrated in the past; his amateur successes and undoubted natural talent failing to translate into attractive victories in the paid ranks. At The O2 on Saturday night, he produced something very different in by far the biggest fight of his career to date.
The nature of his opponent's approach played into Ward's hands, granted, but Townend is renowned for being a knockout specialist so it was particularly encouraging to see the Essex-based fighter put his foot to the floor and engage ruthlessly at the right time. If he can continue to add power to his technical skill, the 25-year-old has a big future.
