Middleweight contender Martin Murray is gearing up for his scheduled contest with WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders, scheduled for April 14th at the O2 Arena in London.
Murray, who faced some big hitters in the middleweight division and beyond, and he believes WBA super middleweight champion George Groves has the biggest one-punch power that he ever felt.
But, he credits WBC, WBO, WBA, IBO middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin with consistently carrying his power throughout an entire fight. And, he rates Golovkin as being more skilled and the best boxer that he ever fought.
Murray suffered an eleven round TKO loss to Golovkin in 2015 in Monaco. It was the only stoppage loss of Murray's entire career.
He moved up to super middleweight not long after, and in 2016 he lost a twelve round unanimous decision to Groves.
While he was hurt several times against Groves, he never went down - but he was down three times in the bout with Golovkin.
“The biggest puncher I’ve faced for one punch, Groves, just a back hand. It felt like there was more power in there. Golovkin’s was more of a thud. Every shot was hard. His jab was like a ramrod. It was solid. Everywhere he hit you, you felt it. Whereas when I fought Groves I was just thinking about his back hand. Because he’s got great power in that backhand," Murray said to Boxing News.
"So I think for one-punch power I would pick Groves but for consistency, constant power, it’s obviously Golovkin. Fighting people like Groves, Abraham, Martinez, Sturm and Golovkin, that’s why I really rate Golovkin because obviously they’re all quality operators but Golovkin’s on that level higher than them. I’d seen there were chinks in all their armour but there was nothing in Golovkin. He gave nothing away. That’s why I rate him as the best out there at middleweight.”
Groves, on February 17, will collide with IBO champion Chris Eubank Jr. in a unification as part of the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series. Golovkin is back on May 5, in a rematch with Canelo Alvarez.
2023-10-20 10:05:03
