The fact that Geale, a relatively light puncher in comparison to Golovkin, was able to force him back and keep him on the back foot is a concern. With Adama having a tendency to leave himself open when throwing combinations inside, he will be suspectable to the left hook…a problem for anyone facing GGG – just ask Curtis Stevens.
While the Kazakh continues to gain worldwide recognition with his performances, fights such as this one will not define his career. With opportunities against the likes of Martinez, Ward & perhaps even Carl Froch knocking, he will need to make a statement here to keep himself in line for future big fights.
In terms of how he matches up to Adama, he appears the appreciably stronger man, and also boasts far better punch accuracy. Unless Adama has revamped his style considerably, he'll be unable to get in to the fight from an attacking point of view.
Adama, who comes across as a very likeable and self-assured character, predicts his speed will be the difference, and sites working with his countryman Ike Quartey, who held the WBA Welterweight belt between 1994 and 1998, as a source of new-found inspiration and belief. However, I just don't think it will be enough. I expect Golovkin to win this fight comfortably, and yet, maybe against my better judgement, I think he will have to wait until the late rounds to get Adama out of there.
FEBRUARY PUNCH PREVIEW
BY CHRIS WILLIAMSON
GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS OSUMANU ADAMA
Another Gennady Golovkin fight, another routine win, probably inside-schedule. At least, that appears to have been the reaction from most boxing fans when they learned that the fearsome-punching Kazakh will defend his WBA Middleweight title against Ghana's Osumanu Adama in Monte Carlo on February 1st.
Understandably, it's difficult to get too excited about this match up, and the only real point of interest is whether or not Golovkin can make his almost certain victory a stoppage one, thus doing something that nobody else has ever done to the 22-3 (16) Ghanaian. His record does at least suggest he’s a decent professional, and in his previous world title attempt (against then IBF Middleweight boss Daniel Geale), he performed admirably before losing a unanimous decision almost two years ago.
On the same day of Golovkin-Adama; Eddie Hearn & Matchroom deliver a card which will see Britsh Featherweight Champion Lee Selby take on former Super-Bantamweigh World title challenger Rendall Munroe. Whilst Selby will hope to continue his climb to the upper echelons of the division; For Munroe, 33, this fight may well prove to be last chance saloon in terms of keeping himself anywhere near the top of the domestic or European scene. A knockout loss to Scott Quigg at his old weight of 122 lb in November 2012 was devastating enough for the man from Leicester to announce his retirement, albeit he quickly reversed that decision, arguing that cutting too much weight in order to make Super-Bantam had finally caught up with him (he has campaigned at 130 lb since his return).