Squared Circle: Viewer's Guide to Golovkin and the Weekend in Boxing
Squared Circle: Viewer's Guide to Golovkin and the Weekend in Boxing
Gennady Golovkin fights this weekend in boxing, which means it's kind of a big deal.
By Jonathan Snowden
There's just one major boxing show on American television, but it's kind of a big deal. The two best fighters in the world, arguably, will ply their trade for fans on HBO. While both are monumental favorites, and there's little reason to hope for an upset, it's always a pleasure to watch the greats in action.
With nothing else to occupy our time, I've also included a couple of fights that might be available to the enterprising viewer online.Who's likely to win—and why? You'll find that here, weekly, in this running series.
Network: HBO
Promoter: K2 Promotions
Interest Level: High
An interest level of “high” for a simple reason: Gonzalez and Golovkin are two of the best fighters in the world. Their opposition, sadly, is not up to snuff.
Of the two, Gonzalez is in tougher. Arroyo nearly picked up a win over Amnat Ruenroeng and won a gold medal at the 2009 Amateur World Championship. He at least presents some technique challenges for Gonzalez, who while successful and a deserving runaway favorite, hasn't faced a ton of great fighters, a paucity imposed by the limits of the weight class.
Gonzalez might have to go find Arroyo, and that brings up a frightening possibility. The last flyweight star HBO tried to push was the all action, all the time Jorge Arce. His big network push ended when Julio David Roque Ler spent 12 rounds in a defensive shell, unwilling to trade, happy just to see the final bell. Gonzalez is great —maybe the sport’s best pound for pound—but his size always makes a single lackluster fight potentially devastating for his career prospects.
Prediction: Roman Gonzalez by 7th Round KO
Network: HBO
Promoter: K2 Promotions
Interest Level: High
Wade's claim to fame is a split decision "win" over Sam Soliman last June. The 42-year-old Soliman was considered well past his prime and possibly broken down, but showed enormous resilience by outboxing Wade. Many thought the old man deserved the nod.
Wade hasn’t fought since, taking a nearly 10 month break from the ring and being “rewarded” with a bout against the sport’s most fearsome puncher. Wade has some technique, but he’s often slow or unwilling to take chances with people who hit way less hard than Golovkin. He'll try to employ lateral movement with the sole aim of lasting a bit. Eventually, like the machine he is, GGG should catch up to him and send him to the canvas repeatedly.
Prediction: Gennady Golovkin by 8th round KO
Key Info
Date: April 23rd (6AM EST start)
Network: ABC-CBN (TFC.tv for US stream)
Promoter: Top Rank
Undercard: Mark Magsayo (13-0) vs. Chris Avalos (26-4), Paul Fleming (21-0) vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (22-7-1), Jason Pagara (37-2) vs. Miguel Zamudio (35-8-1),
Interest Level: Medium
There’s not a ton of boxing available on standard television this week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still watch boxing if you're so inclined. You can sign up for a 7 day free trial of TFC (https://tfc.tv/User/Register) and get to see former multidivision world champion Nonito Donaire in a homecoming fight in Cebu City.
Whether this is an actual homecoming is up for debate. Sure, he’s lived in the US for most of his life, but hey, he was born in the Philippines and so he’s probably capable of getting a Phillippines passport and that makes him Filipino. I bet it is in the constitution there.
Anyhow, is this the best Nonito Donaire fight? No. But Donaire’s performances suggest that we’ve seen the best Donaire come and go roughly 4 years ago. He's 33— for a featherweight who started fighting at flyweight that practically makes him a senior citizen.
Bedak's only one significant fight in the west saw him playing job boy to someone Donaire put a beating on (Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.). That was 6 years ago. As such, he is perfectly suited for the role of punching bag here too.
The real explosions will come courtesy of Mark Magsayo/Chris Avalos on the undercard. Avalos is a gatekeeper who has lost two of his last three against well above average competition (Oscar Valdez, Carl Frampton), and thus presents a significant step up for Magsayo.
Magsayo is someone that no one in America is aware of right now, but the Filipino media is suggesting that he’s the future of the country’s boxing scene. Those are not small expectations.
Main Event Prediction: Nonito Donaire by Unanimous Decision
Network: STREAM TEAM~! (Canal 5, Mexico)
Promoter: K2 Promotions
Interest Level: Medium/Low
Unless you live within rock throwing distance of the border, you’ll need to do some searching online for a stream. Don’t worry though—streams are usually easy to come by. The undercard is still not really set up as of yet, which honestly isn’t that surprising for a Mexican boxing card. The main event is what matters.
Carlos Cuadras was mentioned frequently in the past as a future opponent for Roman Gonzalez, and sadly he’s not fighting the top flyweight in the world and McWilliams Arroyo is. At the next weight class up, Cuadras is near the top of the pile. His lone career blemish is a technical draw as the result of a cut to his opponent from an accidental head clash.
Mepranum’s biggest moment was beating Hernan “Tyson” Marquez as an underdog way back in 2010 as part of the festivities surrounding Pacquiao/Clottey in Dallas. He’s fought for titles twice since and come up short both times. Not big on power, he tries to make up the difference with activity.
Things to note: he’s a southpaw, and he’s facing an orthodox fighter with a history of head clashes (Salgado, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai). Mepranum has been KOed in those two title attempts, and Cuadras is a puncher.
Main Event Prediction: Carlos Cuadras by 9th Round KO
There's just one major boxing show on American television, but it's kind of a big deal. The two best fighters in the world, arguably, will ply their trade for fans on HBO. While both are monumental favorites, and there's little reason to hope for an upset, it's always a pleasure to watch the greats in action.
With nothing else to occupy our time, I've also included a couple of fights that might be available to the enterprising viewer online.Who's likely to win—and why? You'll find that here, weekly, in this running series.
Roman Gonzalez (44-0) vs. McWilliams Arroyo (16-2)
Key Info
Date: April 23rdNetwork: HBO
Promoter: K2 Promotions
Interest Level: High
An interest level of “high” for a simple reason: Gonzalez and Golovkin are two of the best fighters in the world. Their opposition, sadly, is not up to snuff.
Of the two, Gonzalez is in tougher. Arroyo nearly picked up a win over Amnat Ruenroeng and won a gold medal at the 2009 Amateur World Championship. He at least presents some technique challenges for Gonzalez, who while successful and a deserving runaway favorite, hasn't faced a ton of great fighters, a paucity imposed by the limits of the weight class.
Gonzalez might have to go find Arroyo, and that brings up a frightening possibility. The last flyweight star HBO tried to push was the all action, all the time Jorge Arce. His big network push ended when Julio David Roque Ler spent 12 rounds in a defensive shell, unwilling to trade, happy just to see the final bell. Gonzalez is great —maybe the sport’s best pound for pound—but his size always makes a single lackluster fight potentially devastating for his career prospects.
Prediction: Roman Gonzalez by 7th Round KO
Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs) vs. Dominic Wade (18-0, 12 KOs)
Key Info
Date: April 23rdNetwork: HBO
Promoter: K2 Promotions
Interest Level: High
Wade's claim to fame is a split decision "win" over Sam Soliman last June. The 42-year-old Soliman was considered well past his prime and possibly broken down, but showed enormous resilience by outboxing Wade. Many thought the old man deserved the nod.
Wade hasn’t fought since, taking a nearly 10 month break from the ring and being “rewarded” with a bout against the sport’s most fearsome puncher. Wade has some technique, but he’s often slow or unwilling to take chances with people who hit way less hard than Golovkin. He'll try to employ lateral movement with the sole aim of lasting a bit. Eventually, like the machine he is, GGG should catch up to him and send him to the canvas repeatedly.
Prediction: Gennady Golovkin by 8th round KO
Nonito Donaire (36-3, 23 KOs) vs. Zsolt Bedak(25-1, 8 KOs)
Key Info
Date: April 23rd (6AM EST start)Network: ABC-CBN (TFC.tv for US stream)
Promoter: Top Rank
Undercard: Mark Magsayo (13-0) vs. Chris Avalos (26-4), Paul Fleming (21-0) vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (22-7-1), Jason Pagara (37-2) vs. Miguel Zamudio (35-8-1),
Interest Level: Medium
There’s not a ton of boxing available on standard television this week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still watch boxing if you're so inclined. You can sign up for a 7 day free trial of TFC (https://tfc.tv/User/Register) and get to see former multidivision world champion Nonito Donaire in a homecoming fight in Cebu City.
Whether this is an actual homecoming is up for debate. Sure, he’s lived in the US for most of his life, but hey, he was born in the Philippines and so he’s probably capable of getting a Phillippines passport and that makes him Filipino. I bet it is in the constitution there.
Anyhow, is this the best Nonito Donaire fight? No. But Donaire’s performances suggest that we’ve seen the best Donaire come and go roughly 4 years ago. He's 33— for a featherweight who started fighting at flyweight that practically makes him a senior citizen.
Bedak's only one significant fight in the west saw him playing job boy to someone Donaire put a beating on (Wilfredo Vazquez Jr.). That was 6 years ago. As such, he is perfectly suited for the role of punching bag here too.
The real explosions will come courtesy of Mark Magsayo/Chris Avalos on the undercard. Avalos is a gatekeeper who has lost two of his last three against well above average competition (Oscar Valdez, Carl Frampton), and thus presents a significant step up for Magsayo.
Magsayo is someone that no one in America is aware of right now, but the Filipino media is suggesting that he’s the future of the country’s boxing scene. Those are not small expectations.
Main Event Prediction: Nonito Donaire by Unanimous Decision
Carlos Cuadras (34-0-1, 26 KOs) vs. Richie Mepranum (31-4-1, 8KOs)
Key Info
Date: April 23rd (10:30PM CST)Network: STREAM TEAM~! (Canal 5, Mexico)
Promoter: K2 Promotions
Interest Level: Medium/Low
Unless you live within rock throwing distance of the border, you’ll need to do some searching online for a stream. Don’t worry though—streams are usually easy to come by. The undercard is still not really set up as of yet, which honestly isn’t that surprising for a Mexican boxing card. The main event is what matters.
Carlos Cuadras was mentioned frequently in the past as a future opponent for Roman Gonzalez, and sadly he’s not fighting the top flyweight in the world and McWilliams Arroyo is. At the next weight class up, Cuadras is near the top of the pile. His lone career blemish is a technical draw as the result of a cut to his opponent from an accidental head clash.
Mepranum’s biggest moment was beating Hernan “Tyson” Marquez as an underdog way back in 2010 as part of the festivities surrounding Pacquiao/Clottey in Dallas. He’s fought for titles twice since and come up short both times. Not big on power, he tries to make up the difference with activity.
Things to note: he’s a southpaw, and he’s facing an orthodox fighter with a history of head clashes (Salgado, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai). Mepranum has been KOed in those two title attempts, and Cuadras is a puncher.
Main Event Prediction: Carlos Cuadras by 9th Round KO