Boxing

Ryan Garcia Explains Why Gennady Golovkin Does Not Belong In Boxing Hall Of Fame: "I Can't Give Him That Nod"

Gennady Golovkin is set to be a part of the 2026 International Boxing Hall of Fame ballot.
Donal Long|
IMAGO / Agencia-MexSport

Former unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin will be eligible to be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2026. Included in the ballot, the results will be announced in December regarding the inductions.

'GGG' is perhaps best known for his trilogy with Canelo Alvarez, where the Kazakh fighter went 0-2-1 against the Mexican. However, these are the only three fights in Golovkin's career in which he was not victorious.

With a professional record of 42-2-1 (37 KOs), Golovkin had his final professional fight in 2022. His career would see him best the likes of Kell Brook, Daniel Jacobs, and Sergiy Derevyanchenko as he was considered one of the pound-for-pound best in boxing.

Despite his accolades, Ryan Garcia does not feel as if the Kazakhstani fighter should be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Ryan Garcia Explains Why He Is Against Gennady Golovkin's Hall Of Fame Induction

Ryan Garcia is set to take on Rolly Romero next
IMAGO / Hoganphotos

Being inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors in the sport. Come December, it may be an honor that Golovkin can enjoy.

According to 24-2 boxing star Ryan Garcia, Golovkin has not done enough in his career to warrant a Hall of Fame induction. Speaking to Inside the Ring, the 27-year-old explained why he felt this way towards 'GGG'.

"Well, for one, Triple G had no really great victories. I mean, who did he beat?"
Ryan Garcia

When Garcia was challenged by the fact that people felt Golovkin had won his first fight with Alvarez, 'King Ry' responded by saying, "We can think all we want."

There was some praise given to Golovkin from Garcia despite his comments. Garcia said, "The thing that I will give him, though, is that he was one of the superstars in boxing at a certain time for a long time. I will give him that."

MORE: David Benavidez Reveals Definitive Reason He'll Never Fight Terence Crawford

Despite conceding that Golovkin was one of the most influential boxers of his era, Garcia did not feel as if that was enough to warrant an induction into the Hall of Fame. "We're talking about the Hall of Fame, we're not talking about eras. I'm talking about overall, all of boxing... I can't give him that nod."

Golovkin will feature on the modern ballot for the Hall of Fame inductions alongside two-division champion Vernon Forrest (41-3, 29 KOs) and Irish boxing legend Steve Collins (36-3, 21 KOs).

Last year's Hall of Fame inductions would see Manny Pacquiao honored as he became the first fighter to fight for a world title after his induction.

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Donal Long
DONAL LONG

Donal Long is a boxing journalist for KO On SI, hailing from Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining SI in 2025, Donal graduated from Dublin City University with a bachelor's degree in media production management. He has also worked on sites such as SportsJOE, GiveMeSport, The Sportster, and Bloody Knockout. Donal has been a huge sports fan for all of his life, which has seen him travel throughout Europe to attend live events.

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