20 little-known facts about Gennady Golovkin

4. Golovkin claims that he could fight until he’s 40

BoxingScene.com’s Keith Idec reported that Gennady Golovkin stated on a recent conference call that he could envision fighting until he’s 40. Golovkin, who is currently 35, remains one of the sport’s elite pound-for-pound fighters despite some hysterical claims that his past two bouts, a stoppage of Kell Brook and close decision win over Daniel Jacobs, showed signs that Golovkin is slowing down. Any diminishing of Golovkin’s skills is relative, and it is conceivable to think that he could indeed compete with, and most likely beat, the best middleweights in the world five years from now.

Here’s some of what Golovkin had to say on that conference call:

"“Yeah, probably,” Golovkin said. “I hope so. Right now, I feel good. Probably like 40, five years more. You know, this is boxing. Every day [brings] physical danger. Only one punch change life. Right now, I feel great. My speed, everything, is good. My family, my team support me. You know, I feel very comfortable. Probably, yeah, five, six more [years].”"

Of greater intrigue, however, was what Golovkin’s longtime trainer Abel Sanchez argued about this proclamation — again, courtesy of Idec’s report:

"“I think if we’re able to secure the kind of fights that motivate him mentally – physically, he’s always in shape,” Sanchez said. “All great fighters like that are always in shape. But the mental part of it is so important because you have to be motivated for a fight. If [promoter] Tom [Loeffler] and the Hermann brothers [Golovkin’s managers] and the powers that be can get him the kind of fights that motivate him and reward him to come back in the gym and work just as hard he does for all fights, then yes, I can see him fighting that long. But I think if there’s an if, that’s the big if.”"

So, what constitutes genuine motivation for Gennady Golovkin as he enters the final act of his brilliant career? Assuming he wins the Canelo fight, Golovkin will only need two more victories to break Bernard Hopkins’ record of middleweight title defenses. Additionally, adding the WBO strap to his collection is something that clearly matters to Golovkin. Beyond that, things get murky, and if Canelo upsets him, the focus narrows and will only be about revenge. Regardless, up to five or six more years of enjoying Golovkin’s unique destructive powers is something all boxing fans should relish.