In the mind of many boxing fans including this writer Gennady “GGG” Golovkin the WBC, WBA and IBF world middleweight champion is the best p4p boxer in the world today!

I once did an article on who was in that 2004 Olympics which in the middleweight division it included Jean Pascal, Hassan Ndam Njikam, Karoly Balzsay, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin and Russian Gaydarek Gaydarbekov. Gaydarbekov in the 2000 Olympics defeated Utkirbek Haydarov of UZB, Eromosele Albert (NIG), Jeff Lacey (USA) and Zsolt Erdei (HUN) before losing in the finals to Cuban Jorge Gutierrez 17-15. Lacey, Ndam Njikam, Balzsay, Pascal and Erdei would go onto win professional world titles.

In the 1998 Goodwill Games Gaydarbekov defeated Jermain Taylor. He would return in the 2004 Olympics like earlier mentioned. His style was typical amateur by landing many light jabs scoring a point with each one and an occasional right and move around the ring trying not to be hit. He never turned professional and would not have been a good one if he did.

After Gaydarbekov defeated boxers from the Philippines, UZB, Cameroon, Thailand and in the finals a boxer from KAZ. In the other bracket was GGG who had defeated boxers from Pakistan, Egypt and the USA’s Andre Dirrell before gaining a Silver Medal in losing in the finals. In his past amateur bouts in 2000 he defeated boxers from China, Germany, Sweden, Russia and Cuba to win the Junior World championship. 2001 East Asian Games win Gold defeating boxers from South Korea, China and Australia’s Daniel Geale future IBF world champion. In 2002 defeating boxers from AZE, CAM, Russia and Cuba in the Asian Games. In 2002 winning Silver in the Asian Games defeating boxers from AFG, Qatar, So KOR and Thailand. In the 2003 World championship defeating Matt Korobov of RUS, Andy Lee of IRE a future pro world champion, Lucian Bute of ROM a future pro world champion, Yordanis Despaigne of Cuba and Oleg Mashkin of the UKR. In the 2005 World Cup won a Bronze after defeating boxers from GEO, ALG and Yordanis Despaigne of Cuba. In the 2005 World Championships defeat a Serb before losing to an Egyptian who never turned pro. Ending up 345-5 but may have had at least 8 losses. Not bad out of over 350 fights.

So when the finals came in the 2004 Olympics two of the best amateur boxers in the world would meet.

1999, 2001 and 2002 Gaydarbekov would be the Russian champion. He is now 40 years-old.