Tyler's 'Real Bite' w/ Matthew Aguilar on Golovkin, Geale, Mayweather, Pacquiao, Cotto, Canelo and more
 By David Tyler, Doghouse Boxing (July 25, 2014)
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Matthew Aguilar
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Matthew Aguilar is an award winning boxing writer for the El Paso Times. He is regarded as an "expert" in this sport. He has authored many boxing articles for USA Today, Ring Magazine, KO Magazine, Doghouse Boxing and various websites. You will not meet a nicer person than Matthew. With all that said....let's welcome Matt into the doghouse...
David Tyler: Matt what inspired you to become a sportswriter with the focus on boxing?
Matthew Aguilar: My fascination with boxing started with Rocky. I was a second-grader when Sly Stallone's classic movie hit the theaters. I was caught in the web of one arm pushups, downing raw egg yolks, and the wee hour runs. I had aspirations to become a boxer but health conditions (open heart surgery) put a stop to boxing work outs. I eventually played football in my senior year of high school. I went to college and majored in journalism. Since I was in love with boxing, it was only natural that I become a boxing writer. I have been writing a weekly boxing column for the El Paso Times for the past 13 years.
DT: Let's go straight to Saturday's Main Event on HBO -- Gennady Golovkin vs. Daniel Geale. Is Golovkin the real deal or maybe the real deal?
MA: He is certainly the real deal. During my years of covering boxing, very few fighters have created this type of excitement. Mike Tyson, Hector Camacho, Roy Jones Jr., Tommy Hearns come to mind and I believe that Golovkin is this type of fighter because of his unique combination of speed and power. His style will put fans in the arena and on the couch in front of their televisions.
DT: I agree completely. It's been some time since a fighter has created this type of enthusiasm in the boxing ring. Who do you think has been Gennady's toughest opponent to date?
MA: Probably Curtis Stevens. He recovered from an early round knockdown, fought well in the middle rounds and Golovkin had to show some stamina as the fight continued. Stevens is a more versatile fighter than the previous opponents of Golovkin. But with all that said, I don't think Golovkin lost a round to Stevens.
DT: Is Golovkin moving up in the level of competition by fighting Daniel Geale?
MA: Geale will be the best fighter so far. He is a former champion and successfully defended the title a few times. He is probably a shade better than Stevens. Golovkin was supposed to fight Chavez Jr. in July but negotiations fell apart and team Golovkin did a good job bringing in former champion Stevens.
DT: Look into the crystal ball and tell me how this fight will play out?
MA: Geale is probably more of a boxer than a puncher and moves well. He may give Golovkin trouble for a couple of rounds. It will be just a matter of time before Golovkin cuts off the ring and closes the distance so he can land his bombs. Once that happens, the end will come very quick.
DT: Does Golovkin have any weakness in his game?
MA: The things that we could call weakness is simply the things we don't know. How good of a chin does he have and how will he react when he gets hit by a huge punch? So far, Golovkin looks very strong and sturdy. He seems to be the complete package. He is fast and cuts the ring off well. He throws combinations with power in both hands. So it's just a matter of time as he moves up the latter all questions will be answered. Maybe he will fight Andre Ward and then we will see how he handles another fighter with boxing skills.
DT: The Middleweight division is rich in talent...I consider Cotto the champion but others of note would be Peter Quillin, Golovkin, and Canelo? Let's start with Canelo...your thoughts.
MA: From ringside I scored his last fight with Lara a draw. With Canelo I feel like there is something missing. He gets caught between styles...in his last fight he did more damage with body shots than punches to the head. That's not good because it's obvious you do more damage with head shots. Canelo has a big strength advantage when he enters the ring based on the weight he gains after the official weigh-in. I really don't think he is a big puncher. I would call him a heavy handed fighter who is very strong. He is certainly not a big puncher like Golovkin. I think he has a long way to go to live up to the expectations that his marketing people have laid out for the fans.
DT: Do you think that Golden Boy would take the risk and have Canelo fight Golovkin?
MA: No, not at all...at I think that Canelo's next fight will be against Miguel Cotto. At this point in Cotto's career, he would be the perfect opponent for Canelo. The fight would draw big numbers with the PPV audience...even compete with the numbers of the Canelo/Mayweather fight. I also think that Canelo could win this fight as Cotto is a natural junior welterweight, you would have to give the edge to Canelo because of the size difference.
DT: Matt, speaking of Mayweather, what's your opinion of his last fight against Maidana?
MA: He looked to me like he was getting old. Even though he said he fought to give the fans a show, I think it was because he was 37 years old and didn't have the legs to hit and move the entire fight. Make no mistake, Mayweather can fight regardless if he is moving or not and he certainly won the fight. I also believe he will win the rematch fairly comfortably.
DT: Let's stay with Mayweather...His next fight after the rematch with Madiana, will be in early May 2015. I believe that he would like to add the middleweight championship belt to his collection. Right now Cotto is the true middleweight champion. If Canelo fights Cotto and wins the championship, then Mayweather would fight Canelo again. Both fights would draw a ton of viewers to PPV. Agree?
MA: I have been hearing a lot of noise that Mayweather will fight Pacquiao in May but we have been there and done that for the last five years. To answer your question, I would say if he fights Cotto then the fight would draw many PPV viewers. Cotto gave him a really good fight in their match and add the middleweight championship to the mix and you have the potential of a fight that would break all PPV records. I could also see Mayweather fighting Canelo for the middleweight championship but it will be a hard sell because their fight was so lopsided and I'm sure that most fans would not be willing to pay $70.00 to see the same thing again.
DT: I also believe that victim number 50 for Mayweather will be Pacquiao. I just don't think that Floyd wants to retire undefeated without having Pacquiao on his record. Your thoughts?
MA: According to the rumor mill that fight will happen in May. You never know what to believe in this sport. We've been down this road so many times over the last five years. My position is "I'll believe it when I see it". If and when that fight were to happen it would still be a big event for the sport of boxing that would set attendance and PPV records. Probably there is just too many political leaps to be taken for the event to happen.
DT: Pacquiao has a fight against Chris Algieri in November of this year. Is this a worthy PPV event? Is Algieri a legitimate opponent given the fact that he has so few fights under his belt?
MA: There has been a lot of criticism on twitter and other social media about Pacquiao fighting Algieri but I'm not quite sure if he had another option after Marquez turned down another fight with him. No, the fight is not worthy of the PPV price. We need another interview to discuss what is wrong with the current PPV system but the fans certainly are not getting their money's worth in most PPV fights.
DT: Matt, have you seen Algieri fight?
MA: Yes, back in June he beat Ruslan Provodnikov. He came back after some early round knockdowns and won a split decision. I was impressed on many levels...he has a good jab with speed, good boxing skills, and most important, a ton of heart. I think the fight will be more difficult for Pacquiao than people realize.
DT: We forgot Kid Chocolate in our discussion of the middleweights. Has Peter Quillin impressed you?
MA: Peter Quillin is a good fighter. Do I think he is another Golovkin? Do I think he could compete with Golovkin? No to both questions. I think he gets hit too much and his chin is a little suspect. I just haven't been that impressed with Kid Chocolate and when he goes up in the level of competition, I don't think he will perform well.
DT: So Kid Chocolate is not ready for GGG?
MA: No. If he were to fight Golovkin, Quillin would not last more than five or six rounds at best.
DT: Matt, let's go back to Golovkin for the finish. In your opinion is there anyone out there the size of Golovkin that stands a chance of beating GGG?
MA: Maybe Andre Ward, that would be a classic boxer, puncher matchup. This would be another question that needs answering about Golovkin. Would he be able to deal with someone blessed with the skills of Andre Ward? So far Golovkin has been very impressive against some very good fighters. Let's see how he performs against some of the great fighters in this sport. I'm sold on Golovkin right now.
DT: I think it's safe to say that Golovkin is not on Mayweather's short list of future opponents?
MA: No, that fight will never happen!
DT: Matt, many thanks for your time and it has been a joy discussing boxing with you. Good luck in all your future endeavors and let's stay in touch.
MA: Yes, it has been a lot of fun and we will chat again.
Readers: Are you a Boxing fan? Do you love hard hitting knockouts? Please tune into HBO this Saturday night if only to see the great Gennady Golovkin. You better catch him now before it cost you $70.00 to see this monster of the middleweights. For the old timers and not so old timers -- Do you remember the excitement brought to boxing when Mike Tyson was in his prime? It's back and its name is Gennady Golovkin.
Thank you,
David Tyler
***David Tyler replies to all his e-mails and loves to hear from the readers. Comments, Questions, Suggestions, E-mail  David now at: dtyler53@cox.net
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