The internet is ablaze after the most recent press conference held in London for Saturday night's HBO PPV showdown between undefeated Middleweight contenders Gennady "GGG" Golovkin and Kell "Special K" Brook showed Golovkin looking physically drained, leading to many theories as to what could be the cause.
Sky Sports' Johnny Nelson reported earlier this week that he received word that "GGG" started his camp later than expected, having only arrived to London for the fight a week prior to the bout. Normally fighters will allow themselves 2 or more weeks to become acclimated to climate and time changes when fighting on a new continent. Being the first time the Kazakhstan native has fought in England, it was odd that he did not arrive to the country until this past Sunday. Golovkin (35-0, 32 KO) is known for keeping himself in fighting shape and staying near his fight-night weight, however he was noticeably thinner on the scales and his face had a sunken look to it, which is well out of character for the IBO/WBA/WBC/IBF Middleweight champion.
While some have the suspicion that this is simply Golovkin overlooking the "smaller" Brook (36-0, 25 KO), there were other reports going around that "GGG" had fallen ill and was sick for the entire press conference, even leading him to cut some of his interviews short in London. This notion was squashed by trainer Abel Sanchez, who claimed there was "absolutely no truth" to any rumblings about his fighter being sick, and that "he is just in fight mode". Anyone who has watched a Golovkin fight in the past knows that he arrives in fight mode every time he enters the ring, however his physical appearance definitely indicated he was not at a full 100%.
While there could be very little to make of this come Saturday night, anything that could possibly deter the punching power of "GGG" is obviously going to be a huge asset for Brook's team. Golovkin is a superb boxer and is quick on his feet, with the force behind his punches being one of the most feared in all of the sport. If he is lacking in any of these categories when facing "Special K", it could make for a long night and one of the toughest fights the champ has ever been a part of. Brook is arguably one of the most talented boxers around, and any advantage he gets at this point could very well lead to Golovkin taking his first defeat and Brook shocking the world with a victory.
Luckily for Golvkin's team, they still have until 5:30pm EST on Saturday evening before the fight begins, so any illness or negative effects that may be lingering could be nonexistent by that point. However it will be interesting to see just how well "GGG" looks when he finally steps into the ring with Brook, who has looked to be in freakishly good shape, and is supremely confident heading into the bout on his home turf.