The Gennady Golovkin vs. Grzegorz Proksa fight on Saturday, September 1 from Turning Point Casino in Verona, New York is a big fight.
Beyond the fact that the fight is for Golovkin's WBA Middleweight championship, there are three key reasons why this fight is intriguing.
First of all, both of these men are quality fighters. Their records (23-0 for Golovkin and 28-1 for Proksa) aren't examples of bloated resumes that camouflage mediocre fighters. Seeing two quality and relatively young fighters (Golovkin is 30 years old and Proksa is 27) compete is always a draw.
Secondly, it is the first time either of the fighters have fought in the United States in over six years—Golovkin has never fought in the US. If you are one of the fight fans that aren't that familiar with these two, that would probably be the reason why.
The fight will be broadcast on HBO Boxing After Dark, so this is a chance for the American fight fan to get acquainted.
Lastly, both of these guys can bang. Golovkin has a KO percentage of 86 percent, and Proksa's KO percentage is just over 72.
That dynamic has me interested.
Here is how you can catch the action:
When: Saturday, September 1 at 9:45 p.m. ET
Where: Turning Point Casino in Verona, New York
Live Stream: HBO Go (Pay Service)
The Book on Gennady Golovkin
Golovkin is a relentless orthodox slugger.
He comes straight forward almost all the time. His ring disposition and posture reminds me a little of Ray Mancini. Golovkin is a bit more accurate and slightly quicker proportionately than Boom Boom.
But like Mancini, his objective is to wear you down and stop you.
He is an effective body puncher, and he throws hard combinations. He isn't difficult to hit, though. He keeps his hands pretty low, but many of his opponents seem to hesitate to fire in fear of Golovkin's hard counter shots.
Here is a video of Golovkin dropping Anthony Greenidge with a nasty left-hook to the body.
Golovkin has stopped his last 10 opponents with his pressuring style, and he'll be looking to do the same to Proksa.
Proksa is a slick boxer, though.
His smooth southpaw style and power make this an interesting matchup.
Book on Grzegorz Proksa
Golovkin himself described Proksa as a slick fighter. Speaking to Boxing Scene, Golovkin told Keith Idec:
"I think he has very good movement. He has good technique, like Sergio Martinez. He’s a good boxer. It’s going to be a tough fight."
Proksa is very loose and limber in his posture. He throws shots from all angles, and he has some pop. You can see that at the 3:05 mark of the video below. He drops Kerry Hope with one hard power right.
He's a southpaw, so his hands-down style is even more awkward and difficult to time.
His only loss came in a majority decision against Hope. The KO-win above was their second meeting, and Proksa's last fight. There is no denying his talent, but he does have a noticeable flaw in his defense.
Beyond the fact that he keeps his hands very low, his head movement isn't exactly on par with fighters we've seen have success with that style.
He doesn't slip as many punches as he should, in my opinion. Against a hard-puncher like Golovkin, that could be a troublesome.
My Prediction
I am really looking forward to this bout. Follow me on Twitter for to follow my scorecard, but I don't think this one will go to the judges.
Both fighters may have their moments, but in the end, I believe Golovkin will knock Proksa out. Golovkin is such a disciplined slugger, I think he'll absorb some shots from Proksa, but he'll wear him down.
I predict a seventh-round KO victory for Golovkin.
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