"I don't have any delusions" - Gennadiy Golovkin knows that his age might be an issue

Gennadiy Golovkin has been boxing for over twenty-nine years. He first laced up the gloves in 1992, at ten-years-old. By the time he turned pro in 2006, he had 350 amateur fights under his belt with a record of 345-5.

On April 9, 2022, Golovkin will step into the ring with Ryōta Murata in Saitama, Japan for his 44th professional bout. On April 8, Golovkin will turn forty-years-old.

In an interview with BoxingScene, Golovkin said that he continues to fight because he still feels great but is aware his age could catch up to him:

“This might be one of my issues... I'm fully cognizant of my situation. I’m in touch with reality. I don’t lie to myself. I don’t have any delusions. I fully realize my abilities and I continue because I can.”

Though age may be a factor in his upcoming bout, Golovkin has shown little sign of slowing down. In his 394th fight, including both amateur and professional bouts, Golovkin put his opponent, 30-year-old Kamil Szeremeta, on the canvas four times.

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A look at Gennadiy Golovkin's career

Gennadiy Golovkin purportedly began his fighting career as a child when his older brothers would coax him into fighting grown men on the streets of Karaganda, Kazakhstan.

In 2003, he won a gold medal at the World Amateur Boxing Championships. The following year, he won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Out of 350 amateur fights, Golovkin lost only five and none by way of stoppage.

Gennadiy Golovkin's first twelve pro bouts took place in Germany. He knocked out all of his opponents during this time bar Ian Gardner and Mehdi Bouadla. Golovkin won the WBA Interim Middleweight Title against Milton Nunez in 2010. In 2012, he began to fight in the United States and quickly rose to prominence.

In 2013, Golovkin stopped four opponents, including Curtis Stevens and Matthew Macklin. A string of high-profile knockout victories over fighters such as Marco Antonio Rubio, Willie Monroe Jr., David Lemieux, and Kell Brook propelled Golovkin to the upper echelons of the pound-for-pound the rankings.

Golovkin's most well-known bouts are his two fights against Canelo Alvarez in 2017 and 2018. The bout with Alvarez in 2017 gave Golovkin his first draw and the rematch in 2018 resulted in his first loss.

Gennadiy Golovkin may have the best chin in boxing history. In almost four-hundred fights, he has never been knocked down. It is also said that he has never been knocked down in sparring, despite being known for training with heavyweights.