Gennadiy Golovkin has labelled Anthony Joshua’s performance against Andy Ruiz ‘terrible’ ahead of his own headliner in New York.
Before entering the ring on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the pound-for-pound superstar (38-1-1, 34 KOs) from Karaganda, Kazakhstan and undefeated Top-10 contender Steve Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs) from Toronto, Canada, spoke to media.
They took the podium to discuss their preparation and mindset heading into their 12-round rumble.
Golovkin also touched on the very public defeat of Joshua at the same venue one week prior.
Joshua was down four times as he surrendered four versions of the heavyweight title to Ruiz.
“If you look at it partially, Joshua was terrible, Ruiz was great. You can look at various elements. It will probably be a big lesson, an important lesson for Joshua to learn.
“And also, I know Andy Ruiz. I’m not surprised at the outcome of that fight.”
On his return to MSG, Golovkin added: “Thank you Madison Square Garden, I feel like this is my second home. This is awesome. Not just for me, but for sports.
“This is a big chance to show boxing fans my experience. You’re right, I had a long break, but I feel right now I’m still smart, and am coming back more strong.
“I feel my power. And of course Steve Rolls, my opponent. He’s an undefeated guy. This is serious business, very dangerous sport.
“I believe he’s ready for Saturday night. This is real life, real fight. Please welcome to MSG this Saturday night, June 8. It’s going to be an amazing show, amazing atmosphere.”
ROLLS
Addressing the challenge of Rolls, GGG concluded: “I’m very cautious and very respectful of my opponent. I understand his situation.
“I always think of my opponent as a professional. It’s very serious so I really understand it’s a dangerous situation, and I’m conscious of that.”
The fight will be contested at a maximum weight of 164 lbs. Streamed live on DAZN beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.
GGG vs. Rolls kicks off the exclusive six-fight, three-year global partnership between GGG Promotions and DAZN, the world’s fastest-growing sports streaming platform.
