His chin was fine but his mind was feeble.The premise is askew as far as "if he did not go mental".It's because he did fight in a solid era and faced adversity that he was exposed and did in fact go or came in nutty.He could not hang and had more than enough opportunity's to right the ship only to melt down before our eye's.He was not wired right,really bizarre.He found a way to lose even with victory within his grasp.He had some moments (Imo was robbed in Ruiz Fight)
Look no further than his split personality fight with Michael grant.It was ALL there,Golota had rebuilt himself off Bowe meltdowns,was riding streek and looking to claim stepping stone NABF belt.He came out against undefeated and Imo much overhyped Grant and brutalized him early.Dropped him twice and Grant was lucky to escape the 1st.He had Grant busted up and was dictating with stiff shots and genuine tenacity until slowly but surely Grant stated cracking him with rights.There comes a time in such a fight when a fighter has to ask AND answer the question of how badly do you want it.Grant was coming back but behind by at least 4 or 5 points and in the tenth Golota got dropped,He sprang up and looked in good condition with steady legs and all of the sudden looked at the ref. and shook his head NO.He quit,Flat out in a fight he was ahead in and could physically come back in...Mentally he was broken,busted and done.
He was really was a physical specimen with phone pole punches and it was so frustrating watching him most of the time,waitin to say "Oh shit,here we go again".They say boxing is mostly mental and not physical.Golota could not cut it.