Boxing superstar and unified middleweight world champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, (35-0, 32 KOs) and consensus number one pound-for-pound fighter in the World, WBC flyweight world champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, (45-0, 38 KOs) top the 2016 “Best Fighter” category for this year’s prestigious ESPY AWARDS, taking place in Los Angeles on July 13.
For Golovkin it is the second year in a row that he has been nominated for this prestigious award.
“This is a great honor to be nominated for the second year in a row, “said Golovkin, holder of the WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO middleweight world titles. “Thank you to all my fans.”
Said Gonzalez: “This is a true blessing from God and I’m honoured to be nominated with ‘GGG’ and the other great fighters.”
“Having Gennady and Roman nominated for “Best Fighter” by the ESPY’s shows their status as the two of the best fighters in boxing and is a great testament from their worldwide fan base,” said Tom Loeffler, Managing Director of K2 Promotions.
Sharing the same stage three times since May 2015, Golovkin and Gonzalez have provided boxing fans with the highest levels of excitement while selling out “The Mecca of Boxing”, Madison Square Garden, and The Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles.
Last May, Golovkin retained his titles with a sixth-round knockout of top contender Willie Monroe. Co-featured on the card and opening the HBO telecast, Gonzalez scored a second round stoppage over former world champion Edgar Sosa.
Selling out Madison Square Garden last October, the pair thrilled the 20548 in attendance as Golovkin, making his fourth appearance at the famed arena, masterfully displayed his skills in an eighth-round knockout of David Lemieux, earning the IBF middleweight title in the process.
Fighting for the first time in New York, Gonzalez impressively overwhelmed former world champion Brian Viloria with a ninth-round stoppage.
Two months ago, the pair returned to Los Angeles, selling out The Fabulous Forum with 16 353 present to watch Golovkin’s second-round destruction of undefeated mandatory world title challenger Dominic Wade while Gonzalez dominated top rated Puerto Rican challenger McWilliams Arroyo towards a 12-round decision.
Golovkin has knocked out his last 22 opponents while defending his world titles 16 consecutive times. His knockout ratio of 91.4% is the highest in the middleweight division history.
A three-division world champion, Gonzalez has made four defences of the WBC flyweight world title won in September 2014. Among those listing him as the sport’s number one pound-for-pound fighter are Yahoo, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, USA Today, Ring Magazine and Bleacher Report.
