War of the work-out

The booming punches of a champion, a boisterous crowd and a challenger trying to roar himself to one of the biggest upsets boxing could ever see; and this was all just at the public work-out for Gennady Golovkin v Kell Brook.

A muggy lunchtime saw hundreds of fans and curious passers-by cram Covent Garden and they were soon watching Conor Benn, John Riel Casimero, Charlie Edwards and Lee Haskins put through their paces in the ring, one after the other.

Then, with all of them departed and all other media obligations fulfilled, a sudden purposeful surge from bouncers and the collective turning of countless heads heralded the arrival of Golovkin.

It’s the serenity of the man that strikes you first. The smile is boyish and the general demeanour not dissimilar to a foreign exchange student enthusiastically devouring the bustle of central London.

Depending on who you are, after a few drinks you might be dismissive of Golovkin’s threat if you bumped into him in public and didn’t know who he was. There also might be more than one burly miner from Karagandy with a cautionary tale about underestimating him.

Through the stretching, the skipping and the shadow-boxing, he seems to evolve stealthily into a war machine. The smile often returns; there were plenty of giggles with his long-time trainer Abel Sanchez during their …

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