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Could Gennadiy Golovkin have beaten a monster who was ‘more talented’ than him?… Legend gives surprising take

Originally posted on Bloody Knockout | By James Sweetnam | Last updated Aug 26, 2025 11:07 AM ET

Gennadiy Golovkin almost fought a terrifying knockout artist.

In his career, ‘Triple G’ has proven his power beyond doubt, stopping an array of high-level boxers.

However, there’s one warrior he never had the opportunity to face inside the ring.

And that’s because this competitor suffered an injury that prevented the bout from coming to fruition.

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Gennadiy Golovkin would’ve beaten Dmitry Pirog, says Daniel Jacobs

Daniel Jacobs has battled it out with both Gennadiy Golovkin and Dmitry Pirog, putting him in the perfect position to give his opinion on how a fight between the knockout artists would’ve played out.

When the American faced the Russian in 2010, who eventually retired from back issues, his night ended in disaster, with his opponent finishing him in the fifth round.

However, when ‘The Miracle Man’ battled it out with the Kazakh, many fans believed Jacobs did enough to beat Golovkin.

But regardless of this, the former world champion claims he would’ve favored ‘Triple G’ had the icon ever traded leather with Pirog inside the squared circle.

In an interview with Boxing News, Jacobs explained: “I don’t think he would’ve beaten Golovkin, to be honest, because Golovkin was a force and styles make fights.

“I had over 180 amateur fights, so I’ve been in there with every kind of style, so I kind of know what styles mix well together.

“And I think even though Pirog is more talented, Golovkin just has that sheer power and ring IQ, just mental pressure, that’s a thing itself, when you can’t keep a motherf—– off you, you get mentally tired. So, he’s multi-faceted.

“Pirog definitely would’ve been a beast, and I could’ve seen him beating a lot of top-tier guys. But when it comes to Golovkin, I don’t know, based on styles.”