The gap between Gennady Golovkin and his peers is revealed by the middleweight champion's string of 22 consecutive knockouts, a run of success rooted in gym work.
The Kazakhstan fighter's intense daily regimen, conducted in the high altitude of trainer Abel Sanchez's gym, includes 4,000 sit-ups, brutal chin-strengthening push-ups without the use of arms and a closing drill of 150 "high knee" jumps.
Veteran professional fighters, serving as Golovkin's sparring partners, tried to match him in the training sessions only to beg for mercy. But Golovkin, after cruising through a neck-strengthening sequence wearing a strapped-on eight-pound headgear, proclaimed it "easy."
"My preparation every day is to show I'm ready for 12 rounds," he said. "I need a long fight. Maybe it won't happen this time ... but I need it."
Golovkin defends his title Saturday against England's Kell Brook (36-0, 25 knockouts). Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) conceded home-arena advantage to Brook for the HBO-televised bout at O2 Arena in London.
Brook, a 7/1 underdog, is the International Boxing Federation welterweight champion. His biggest win was a 2014 majority decision over Shawn Porter at StubHub Center.
Golovkin, who holds three middleweight belts, is aiming for his 17th consecutive middleweight title victory.
It appeared briefly as if Golovkin was headed for a showdown this month against Mexico's Canelo Alvarez, who successfully defended his World Boxing Council middleweight belt in May. After that bout, Alvarez summoned Golovkin into the ring and said, "Mexicans don't (expletive) around," suggesting they'd soon fight each other.
But Alvarez relinquished his belt to mandatory challenger Golovkin and instead selected England's 154-pound world champion Liam Smith for a Sept. 17 super-welterweight title bout in Texas.
Meanwhile, Alvarez has promised to fight Golovkin next September.
Golovkin, in a dramatic turn from his usual kindly demeanor, tersely told The Times last week that he believes Alvarez's vow will prove "impossible" to keep, predicting further gamesmanship involving questions about the purse split.
"He said, 'Give me the gloves, I'm ready right now,' " Golovkin noted, referring to Alvarez's comments last May. "Too much talking ... it's of no respect to the fans. It's not serious. ... He's not ready."
Said Sanchez of Alvarez: "His bravado has gotten in the way of common sense."
After the Alvarez fight fell though, Golovkin asked promoter Tom Loeffler for a fight in England. Talks with English middleweight Chris Eubank Jr. unraveled, leading promoter Eddie Hearn to turn to Brook.
Golovkin originally believed that Brook's interest was a joke before being assured it was sincere. There were only nine weeks remaining before the HBO date, and Golovkin demands an eight-week training camp.
So the deal was made, and a sellout crowd is expected.
"Brook is a champion, undefeated. He's not scared," said Golovkin, indirectly comparing Brook to Alvarez. "(Brook) signed the contract. Respect. He's a fighter."
Golovkin, who wants to maintain a three-fights-per-year schedule, is angling for a late November date against mandatory World Boxing Association co-champion Daniel Jacobs or World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
First, there's Brook, who was a surprisingly large 176 pounds for the 160-pound fight at the 30-day weigh-in.
"If I'm in Kell's corner," Sanchez said, "I would take advantage of his hand speed, foot speed, his quickness, his elusiveness. But seeing how big he (was), they might think they can attack Golovkin, out-muscle him. If that's the case, we're going to have a hell of a fight."
Sanchez knows enough about his fighter to foresee what's coming.
"(Golovkin) tries to land that one punch to hurt you," Sanchez said. "And once he sees he hurts you, he's a predator."
Golovkin beamed at the theory.
"I need to (find) my distance and timing," he said, "and have just that one moment."
Sanchez pondered Brook's strategy as he watched Golovkin grind through a merciless workout.
"Brook's coaches are respected, they run one of the biggest gyms in the south of England," Sanchez said. "But many coaches think their way is the only way. Because of that, sometimes maybe they outthink themselves and don't take into consideration what the other guy has."
