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Boxing

Are fans right to criticise Gennadiy Golovkin's next opponent?

Are fans right to criticise Gennadiy Golovkin's next opponent?DAZN
The DAZN Boxing Show discusses whether fans are right to criticise Gennadiy Golovkin's next opponent.

IBF world middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin is set to return to the ring for the first time in over year when he takes on WBA middleweight champion Ryota Murata in Japan this December. 

However, fans are beginning to doubt whether the 39-year-old can still deliver the performances whch helped him dominate the sport of boxing for 15 years.

On the latest episode of The DAZN Boxing Show, Ak and Barak discussed whether a unification fight with Murata would benefit GGG.

"If you've been at the top of the sport for this many years in one division, and you said years ago with Abel Sanchez, that you want it to, to unify all of the bells before you move up, it kind of makes sense, anybody else probably wouldn't really been acceptable," Barak said. 

Ak meanwhile went on the offensive and believes Golovkin could produce a career similar to that of Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady and fight well into his forties.

"We all see what Tom Brady is doing. Over 40 years old, still winning Super Bowls," Ak stated. 

"We also saw Bernard Hopkins was able to do deep into his froties. So let's stop making them old already. Let's see what he can do against a top level opponent before we call him 'old' because what you're doing when you do that is you're already discrediting his opponent."

"But right now we have to focus on Murata which I think will be a competitive fight to some degree. But I do see GGG being too much."

Barak also discussed Golovkin's age and believes there is one major factor which could see him fight in his forties without much difficulty.

"But what I can say is that GGG hasn't taken a lot of punishment. I think the most punishment he's taken is Canelo and Derevyanchenko," Barak recalled. 

"I'm saying it's not like he was beat up and he took probably worse punishment in the Derevyanchenko fight. So he prolonged his career by being so offensive. He didn't get hit that much. He didn't take a lot of punishment."

"So we might see the same GGG and I've seen him in the gym. He trains extremely hard to this day."

Watch highlights of Golovkin vs. Szeremeta below.

Watch on YouTube