Daniel Geale will be on dangerous ground with Gennady Golovkin and … loving it

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Daniel Geale, celebrating win with trainer Graham Shaw, goes against the undefeated Gennady Golovkin on Saturday night.

Daniel Geale and his promoter Gary Shaw (right)/Photo by Associated Press

 

You really have to like a guy who has the attitude of Daniel Geale as he prepares to challenge the very dangerous Gennady Golovkin for his middleweight championship Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York City (on HBO).

Geale was asked during a recent conference call to explain what it is about Golovkin that makes him want to fight him so badly. His response was classic.

“To be honest, Gennady has got titles and I want titles,” said Geale, a former world champion. “That’s my main goal here. I want to fight the best fighters and I want to win some titles and there is only one way to do that, whether he has a great record or not.  You have to get in there and test yourself against the best fighters in the world.”

Exactly what you want to hear from a world-class fighter heading into the lion’s den that is the heavy-handed Golovkin, who is 29-0 with 26 knockouts.

Geale is 30-2 with 16 knockouts. He lost his title to Darren Barker via split-decision in August 2013. He has fought once since and stopped Garth Wood after six rounds in February in his native Australia.

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Darren Barker takes Daniel Geale’s middleweight belt via split decision

Daniel Geale decked Darren Barker in the sixth round with a body punch, with Barker just beating the count. Geale also appared to have Barker hurt in the 12th round of their fight Saturday at Revel Resort in Atlantic City. But Barker did enough in between to come away with a split-decision victory and Geale’s middleweight world championship.

Two judges seemed to be in the ballpark. Alan Rubenstein had Geale ahead 114-113, and Carlos Ortiz Jr. gave it to Barker by that same 114-113 count. Barbara Perez also had Barker winning, but her 116-111 score for him seemed a bit out of whack as this appeared to be a rather close fight.

One thing’s certain, there can be no question as to the courage of Barker, who just did rise at the count of 9 after absorbing that wicked body punch to the liver. It was the type of punch from which many have not risen, or even tried.

Geale (29-2), of Australia, loses his title in his fifth defense. Barker, of London, is 26-1.He is a world champion for the first time.

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