Boxing News 2015: Roach Says GGG Needs To Beat Ward To Best Boxer P4P; Hopkins Replaces Jones On HBO Telecast
Renowned boxing coach Freddie Roach believes that in order for Gennady Golovkin to be a pound-for-pound great, he needs to defeat the undefeated former lineal super middleweight champion Andre Ward.
Golovkin (34-0, with 31 victories by knockout) currently holds the WBC interim 160-pound title and is the mandatory challenger for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who recently won the undisputed WBC title, ring, and lineal belts from Miguel Cotto late last month.
In a report by Boxingscene, Roach believes that in order for Golovkin to gain the worldwide superstar status that many believe he deserves, he should first face "more opponents". "That's a tough task, because [Ward is] a good boxer," Roach said in the report. "He's a little bit boring, but he's a good boxer. He's like Floyd a little bit."
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Like Golovkin, Ward also holds an undefeated record of 28-0, with 15 victories by knockout. A gold medalist for the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics, "S.O.G" last saw action in June, in a non-title catchweight fight against Englishman Paul Smith.
He won the fight by a ninth round technical knockout. Ward was also the former holder of the WBA, WBC, The Ring Magazine and lineal titles, but due to inactivity throughout the entire year of 2014, Ring Magazine decided to strip him of his title in February.
In June, Ward himself decided to vacate the WBA title because of his decision to move up to light heavyweight.
Meanwhile, veteran Bernard Hopkins served as a temporary replacement for Roy Jones Jr. at the HBO "Boxing After Dark" panel on Saturday during the fight between Nicholas Walters and Luis Ortiz.
In another report by Boxingscene, "The Alien" filled in for Jones, who recently suffered a fourth round knockout in Moscow, Russia in the hands of Welsh fighter Enzo Maccarinelli.
For his part, Hopkins was simply thrilled about being back with HBO, noting that it was an opportunity to bring Oscar De La Hoya and the network back to working together once again.
