Boxing Betting: Back Golovkin to stop brave Matthew Macklin

Gennady Golovkin is likely to prove too tough for Matthew Macklin

Gennady Golovkin is a fearsome fighter from Kazakhstan and will probably prove too much for Matthew Macklin to handle on Saturday, thinks Alex Steedman...

The boxing world has been rumbling with talk of an unbeatable monster set to wreak havoc upon all and sundry. Gennady Golovkin is that dark, dangerous secret and this weekend, against our very own Matthew Macklin, we find out what all the fuss is about and if Golovkin is indeed the real deal.

Strange then that Macklin is considered the known fighter and Golovkin merely an emerging talent given the unbeaten Kazakh is making the seventh and fifth defences of his IBO and WBA Middleweight titles. Macklin of course has garnered plenty of fans despite coming up short in two previous tilts at the big one. Certainly Macklin was unlucky not to get the verdict over Felix Sturm in Germany in 2011 and he fought on close to even terms until worn down late by the excellent Sergio Martinez last year. That means Macklin 8.615/2 is a genuine test for Golovkin 1.162/13 and a barometer of where he's at.

Golovkin may not have reached the masses yet but he is popular with the boxing scribes as his thunder grows near. His record reads well with an incredible 23 KOs from 26 wins and during that eye-catching run Golovkin has stopped 14 opponents within the first three rounds, including five in round one. Add to that two last round KOs too and you have a guy who is dangerous every single minute of the fight. It is 13 bouts over five years since judges were last employed in a Gennady Golovkin fight, and not many will figure this to go the distance.

The reason world fame has eluded Golovkin so far is simple; he hasn't fought anyone of particular note or that American audiences are familiar with. But two of his last victories have been in the US as K2 (Klitschko brothers) promotions look to build his name stateside. Golovkin has been smashing opponents though and we know he was a stellar amateur with wins over Lucian Bute, Andre Dirrell and current IBF champion Daniel Geale on route to Olympic Silver and World Championship Gold. Golovkin is good, perhaps very good but this is a step up as a professional.

Macklin seems to have been around for an age since his days as a gym-mate of Ricky Hatton and it's nearly seven years since that war with Jamie Moore. Indeed Matthew has been a pro five years longer that Golovkin despite the fact they are both 31; Golovkin is just getting properly started but this is probably Macklin's last tilt at the big time. Expect his performance to reflect that in what promises to be a cracking fight, I think there will be drama and almost certainly knockdowns.

And Macklin can punch as well as fight; remember he took out both Amin Asikainen and last September Joachim Alcine in a round, effectively ending those fights with one punch. It seems to me that Macklin is ridiculously over-priced including 10.09/1 for a win by KO/TKO. Golovkin is talented but he does get hit and despite dominating, always seems to end his fights marked up across the face. If Macklin is able to hit Golovkin regularly then he can hurt him too. Macklin is the underdog but the odds have been exaggerated and this is a fight he can win, if Golovkin gives him a chance

There is a feeling that Macklin fades in his fights as evidenced in the Moore, Sturm and Martinez defeats but he went off at a suicidal pace in the first two and ran into a Hall-of-Famer in the last so that would be harsh. The likelihood is that this fight depends on who lands first or most often if not who has the best chin. We know Macklin can be hurt, we don't know that yet about Golovkin. What we do know is that both can bang and that Macklin will look to put some heat and pressure on Golovkin from the start. I can't wait to watch the drama unfold.

I do believe that the underground hype surrounding Golovkin as well as the spectacular nature of his record has warped the balance of the betting but I also think this is a fight in which he might look spectacular. Macklin will come forward and Golovkin has the ability to counter-punch hard and from all angles. Some of us have been talking up Golovkin for so long it is time now for the man himself to back up that talk. I think he will and I have the ring walk music in mind too; "What's that coming over the hill...is it a monster?"

Recommended Bet

Back Gennady Golovkin to win by KO/TKO at around 1.42/5