BREWING under boxer GennadyGolovkin's incredible rise is a tragic tale that haunts him until this day.
The Kazakhstan middleweight, who is extremely private, had to deal the unsolved deaths of his two brothers, who joined the Russian Army but never returned home.
Sergey and Vadim went to great lengths to introduce their younger brother to the sport, which eventually earned him more than PS25million. They encouraged him to give up his football dreams and to pursue a career in the ring.
Gennady decided to honor their families after they were notified four years later (in 1990 and 1993).
The man known as Triple G has been fighting nearly 400 times since then and is proud of his iron jaw.
Canelo Alvarez has also been a fight in his career, with one ending in a draw, and the other in a thrilling bout that saw him lose by points. Fans believe that he was cheated.
They will be facing off again in September to determine the winner of their trio.
Humble Gennady presently resides in Santa Monica with his wife Alina, while he trains out at a Big Bear gym.
But, he nearly gave up on boxing when he turned 22, because he was tired of the politics that had impeded his rise from amateur to professional.
Tough start
Gennady was born in Karaganda to a Russian coal miner father, also named Gennady, and Elizabeth, a Korean mother who worked as an assistant at a chemical factory. Gennady had no choice but to survive in a newly created state from the Soviet Union.
He is one of four boys, and he also has a twin brother, Maxim. Living in Kazakhstan back then was survival of the fittest. His brothers Sergey and Vadim recognized that Gennady needed to be toughened up.
He was in nursery when he would pick fights with older men for his younger brother.
"My brothers, they were doing this since I was in kindergarten. He told the Daily Telegraph that he saw different men every day.
His father had envisioned a career in the mines. But his brothers had other plans.
Gennady loved football as a child and his parents sent him to the boxing club because they knew he was skilled in sport.
He wrote, "Just try boxing," they said to me," in The Players' Tribune.
"You need different activities. I was not going to say no." I nodded.
"And when I went, it wasn't something that I liked. Boxing was not something I enjoyed. Who wants to be hit in the face with a punch?
"It's dangerous and I enjoyed playing on my soccer teams. It was easy for me. It was easy for me to grasp. I understood it. It was easy to understand. I knew right away. It was as if I knew right away, as soon as the ring was on my finger.
"I can still remember sparring the first time. Although there were many tough people, I was not afraid. I was also tough. I continued to box.
TRAGEDY STRUCK
The Golovkin family was informed by the government in 1990 that Vadim had been killed while serving with the Russian military.
His coffin was buried without any body and there was no explanation.
Four years later, Sergey succumbed to the same fate. He also died under mysterious circumstances.
"Sergey, Vadim, of necessity, they were like mine heroes. Gennady said, "You know, like any older brother."
"We would be there to see Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard fight. Russian amateur boxers
HARDLY AMATEUR
Golovkin has a remarkable professional boxing record, with 40 wins in his 42 first fights and one loss.
His numbers as an amateur were staggering. He was afraid of being forced down the pit and won an amazing 345 fights, losing only 5.
He is said to have the strongest chin in boxing, having been reportedly never knocked down during his career.
He won silver at the 2004 Olympics, but lost to the Russian Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov by points.
"People recognized me when I returned to Kazakhstan. People used to call me a "genie" or "magic person," and would also say that I was lucky in my fights, even though I beat everyone in Russia or Asia.
"It was always been that I was small and skinny, who was lucky." I returned to Athens after which people told me, "O.K. you are very special."
BUT, HE IS NEARLY QUIT
Golovkin was 22 years old when he became disillusioned with boxing and annoyed at the bureaucracy that kept him from becoming a pro.
"There was no professional fighting for me there. I wanted to be a pro." He said that he couldn't get a contract for a professional job in his country.
"I beat professional men from other countries. I beat everyone. However, I was unable to get a contract. I could not become a pro. I couldn't. Kazakhstan.
"So, at 22 I decided that I would quit boxing. I was sick of politics. "I had been boxing for so many years."
He was then lured back by K2 Promotions, The Klitschko brothers professional boxing promotion company. A year later, he began training in Big Bear under Abel Sanchez, the veteran trainer who trained Terry Norris to Hall of Famer Terry Norris.
"Abel didn’t know much Russian." Golovkin also revealed that he didn't speak much English.
"But we both knew boxing. Abel was the same as Sergey and Vadim. I would do whatever he asked me to. He is a role model for me."
CANELO
British audiences are most familiar with him because of his destruction Kell Brook. However, Americans remember Golovkin's fights against Canelo alvarez.
In 2016, they fought their first fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas before a sell-out crowd of 22,350.
The fight ended after 12 rounds. Judges ruled the fight a draw, despite pundits claiming that the Kazakh should have won.
The pair returned to the ring for another closely fought battle in 2018.
Alvarez was declared the victor. Judges Dave Moretti, Steve Weisfeld, and Glenn Fieldman each scored the bout at 115-113. Glenn Fieldman scored the bout at 114-114.
Surprisingly, 18 of the 18 media outlets covering the event favoured Golovkin, 7 saw it as a draw, and 1 thought Alvarez was winning.
He said, "I proved my victory with facts," in the post-fight interview.
He was the one backing up. Because I gave a great fight, I feel content. It was a clear win."
