What can GGG's next opponent learn from Martin Murray?

[Ron Swanson]

I'm surprised to see people saying GGGs defense is underrated. I think it is getting worse. Repeatedly in this fight he was hit before he saw the punch, usually the right hook. Sometimes the jab. A good defensive fighter gets hit but they see the punch.

I think GGG is getting close to making the classic mistake of falling in love with his power. I think his offense is dynamic but his defense is getting significantly worse.

[mikeeod]

I'm surprised to see people saying GGGs defense is underrated. I think it is getting worse. Repeatedly in this fight he was hit before he saw the punch, usually the right hook. Sometimes the jab. A good defensive fighter gets hit but they see the punch.

I think GGG is getting close to making the classic mistake of falling in love with his power. I think his offense is dynamic but his defense is getting significantly worse.

I couldn't disagree more. GGG is very effective at parrying punches and taking something off them with his gloves, shoulders, elbows or by "riding" the punch/slipping it. He was caught early with some looping right hands, but he seemed to tighten his defense up a little and punished Murray to get him to stop throwing them. Murray was a solid world class fighter, as was Geale. GGG destroyed those guys and didn't look marked up in the face at all, so either he is EXTREMELY durable, or he is better defensively than you are giving him credit for. Julio Caesar Chavez was similar in that he was a stalker who was very adept at slipping and parrying shots while breaking guys down behind a heavy jab and beautiful combos. GGG is probably the best fighter today at cutting the ring off (Cotto is good also when he remembers to/wants to). Very effective and BRUTAL fighter.

[mikeeod]

I think a fascinating match up would be a prime James Toney vs. GGG. James fights his best vs. aggressive guys, and GGG fights like a harder punching (P4P) and more skilled version of Vassily Jirov, one of Toney's best fights/performances. You need a total package, large middleweight like Toney to beat GGG. If you have any glaring weakness GGG will exploit it and use it to break you down. If you have limited power he will walk you down and just pound you out. If you have a big punch but limited boxing ability he will break you down behind the jab, as he did with Curtis Stevens. Toney would have the defense, chin, power, size/length and skills to hang with GGG and give him a great challenge. Toney was a bit inconsistent throughout his career during fights, often taking rounds off due to laziness. Would this be the flaw GGG could take advantage of, or would James punish him with his jab and counters to take the fight late?

[Beanz]

I think a fascinating match up would be a prime James Toney vs. GGG. James fights his best vs. aggressive guys, and GGG fights like a harder punching (P4P) and more skilled version of Vassily Jirov, one of Toney's best fights/performances. You need a total package, large middleweight like Toney to beat GGG. If you have any glaring weakness GGG will exploit it and use it to break you down. If you have limited power he will walk you down and just pound you out. If you have a big punch but limited boxing ability he will break you down behind the jab, as he did with Curtis Stevens. Toney would have the defense, chin, power, size/length and skills to hang with GGG and give him a great challenge. Toney was a bit inconsistent throughout his career during fights, often taking rounds off due to laziness. Would this be the flaw GGG could take advantage of, or would James punish him with his jab and counters to take the fight late?

This^^^^^^

Both Geale and Murray are not big hitters. Murray has a very rounded game otherwise, but people suggesting that he somehow decided to stay on the ropes have missed what was in front of them.Golovkin dictates the pace by controlling the space.

The pressure is constant, he won't let you take a breather. Fighters can't push him onto the back foot because he won't let them. To get your own punches off you need space but you also need time. He will mix it up so that yes sometimes he gets caught by punching with you, but usually before you, or in the gap when you are trying to set your feet and readjust. He has such a varied arsenal that he will hit you through gaps you never thought were there or in places you thought were unreachable. Great defence? He will breach it. Great offense? He will read it and make you miss and punish you.

[brocktonblockbust]

I think a fascinating match up would be a prime James Toney vs. GGG. James fights his best vs. aggressive guys, and GGG fights like a harder punching (P4P) and more skilled version of Vassily Jirov, one of Toney's best fights/performances. You need a total package, large middleweight like Toney to beat GGG. If you have any glaring weakness GGG will exploit it and use it to break you down. If you have limited power he will walk you down and just pound you out. If you have a big punch but limited boxing ability he will break you down behind the jab, as he did with Curtis Stevens. Toney would have the defense, chin, power, size/length and skills to hang with GGG and give him a great challenge. Toney was a bit inconsistent throughout his career during fights, often taking rounds off due to laziness. Would this be the flaw GGG could take advantage of, or would James punish him with his jab and counters to take the fight late?

This^^^^^^

Both Geale and Murray are not big hitters. Murray has a very rounded game otherwise, but people suggesting that he somehow decided to stay on the ropes have missed what was in front of them.Golovkin dictates the pace by controlling the space.

The pressure is constant, he won't let you take a breather. Fighters can't push him onto the back foot because he won't let them. To get your own punches off you need space but you also need time. He will mix it up so that yes sometimes he gets caught by punching with you, but usually before you, or in the gap when you are trying to set your feet and readjust. He has such a varied arsenal that he will hit you through gaps you never thought were there or in places you thought were unreachable. Great defence? He will breach it. Great offense? He will read it and make you miss and punish you.

I agree about the gaps. This guy throws punches from very odd angles and threads the needle through a weird/diagonal kind of gap that most fighters I imagine are not thinking of; for me as a spectator I am weirdly surprised everytime he throws that odd, downward left hook through that gap. Ouch! And landing it on the top of the forehead --- jeesh! Seems it could crush a small vertebrae in the neck or something.

[Ron Swanson]

I'm surprised to see people saying GGGs defense is underrated. I think it is getting worse. Repeatedly in this fight he was hit before he saw the punch, usually the right hook. Sometimes the jab. A good defensive fighter gets hit but they see the punch.

I think GGG is getting close to making the classic mistake of falling in love with his power. I think his offense is dynamic but his defense is getting significantly worse.

I couldn't disagree more. GGG is very effective at parrying punches and taking something off them with his gloves, shoulders, elbows or by "riding" the punch/slipping it. He was caught early with some looping right hands, but he seemed to tighten his defense up a little and punished Murray to get him to stop throwing them. Murray was a solid world class fighter, as was Geale. GGG destroyed those guys and didn't look marked up in the face at all, so either he is EXTREMELY durable, or he is better defensively than you are giving him credit for. Julio Caesar Chavez was similar in that he was a stalker who was very adept at slipping and parrying shots while breaking guys down behind a heavy jab and beautiful combos. GGG is probably the best fighter today at cutting the ring off (Cotto is good also when he remembers to/wants to). Very effective and BRUTAL fighter.

He was caught flush later in the fight too. And he flinched after the punches landed which is a clear sign he didn't see them. It didn't matter in this fight because they had nothing on them but keep an eye on it. His defense used to be better. He's focusing too much on his attack and it might get him in trouble. If he fights someone closer to his level.

[Rantcatrat]

I'm surprised to see people saying GGGs defense is underrated. I think it is getting worse. Repeatedly in this fight he was hit before he saw the punch, usually the right hook. Sometimes the jab. A good defensive fighter gets hit but they see the punch.

I think GGG is getting close to making the classic mistake of falling in love with his power. I think his offense is dynamic but his defense is getting significantly worse.

Getting significantly worse does not mean that he doesn't have good defense or that his defense is underrated. I agree with you that Murray had more success than previous opponents have had against GGG. But, he's only known as an offensive dynamo, which he is, but he's also a great at some defensive maneuvers. For one, I think he does a great job parrying shots. He also does a great job blocking shots on his arms and moving safely into and out of striking distance. Thus, his defense is underrated.