The “Big Drama Show” is headlining Madison Square Garden on Saturday night.
On Saturday in Madison Square Garden, Gennadiy Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KOs) faces Sergiy Derevvyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs) in his first real test since his controversial loss to Canelo Alvarez last year. Can GGG get past the well rounded and disciplined Ukrainian, or at 37 years old is time starting to catch up with the Kazakh knockout artist?
Golovkin has made some changes since the Canelo fight, leaving long-time coach Abel Sanchez for Johnathon Banks, mostly known for coaching Wladimir Klitschko following Emmanuel Stewards’ passing. In his first fight with Banks, a 4th round KO over Steve Rolls, Golovkin showed a more defensive style reminiscent of his early pro career and amateur days. He abandoned the approach after a round once it was clear he did not have much to fear from Rolls and could just steamroll him. That was a quick glimpse but a more defensively focused strategy against more threatening opposition sounds like a good adjustment to prolong his career at the elite level.
Derevyanchenko doesn’t have the power or the iron chin of Golovkin but represents an excellent test. He’s a solid boxer-puncher with a very good one-two and a tight left hook who works the body nicely and can handle himself at range or on the inside. The key for him will be to avoid trouble in the early goings of the fight, work the body as much as possible, and test the Golovkin’s gas tank in the second half of the fight.
Depending on how aggressive Golovkin elects to be, we could get an inside war or a very interesting tactical battle. Either way, while Derevyanchenko definitely has a shot, he’s been noticeably hurt in his last two fights and Golovkin still possesses devastating power and the craft to land it. I’ll pick Golovkin by KO but I expect Derevyanchenko to make him work for it.
While the main event is a very good and relevant fight, the undercard features some interesting fighters but not in particularly compelling match ups. Former IBF super-lightweight champion Ivan Baranchyk (19-1, 12 KOs) looks to rebound against 38 year old Gabriel Bracero (25-3-1, 6 KOs) after his loss to Josh Taylor in the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series. It shouldn’t be competitive given Bracero’s age and his lack of power but Baranchyk is a fun pressure fighter to watch. 24-year-old Uzbek prospect Israil Madrimov (3-0, 3 KOs) faces Alejandro Barrera (29-5-1, 18 KOs). Madrimov was a decorated amateur, winning the gold medal at the 2017 Asian Championships. He has shown great potential so far in the pros and is definitely a fighter to keep an eye on.
Gennady Golovkin vs Sergiy Derevyanchenko airs on DAZN on Saturday, October 6th at 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT.
Full fight card:
Main Card – DAZN – 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT
Gennady Golovkin vs. Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Ivan Baranchyk vs. Gabriel Bracero
Israil Madrimov vs. Alejandro Barrera
Ali Akhmedov vs. Andrew Hernandez
Preliminary Card – DAZN – 7:00pm ET / 4:00pm PT
Brian Ceballo vs. Javier Albonica
Nikita Ababiy vs. Isiah Seldon
Joseph Ward vs. Marco Delgado
Johnathan Arroyo vs. Jonathan Figueroa
Kamil Szeremeta vs. Oscar Cortes