Chatham Native Boxer Steve Rolls Hungry to Shake Loss To Golovkin
CKSN PRO WEEKLY with DWIGHT WAKABAYASHI
Chatham is a town of fighters but did you know that you have a native son boxer who is right at the very top of the professional boxing food chain?
Chatham’s own Steve Roll is coming off a very big night when on June 8th he stood toe-to-toe, in the middle of the ring at Madison Square Garden with Gennady Golovkin.
Rolls (19-1) has been on an incredible run in his professional boxing career going an undefeated 19-0 with ten knockouts. That ride and run through the many rings and venues throughout Canada and the United States. Rolls has fought at some great venues like The Bell Centre in Montreal and Resorts World Casino in Queens NY, the bright lights of Broadway are his biggest show yet.
Golovkin (38-1-1) is widely known as “GGG” or “Triple G” and is considered the top of the boxing food chain in every way. He is the best middleweight fighter in the world today, and he can also be considered the best middleweight of all time. Golovkin has been the pound for pound best boxer in the world over the last ten years. The fact that Rolls got a shot at him says he lives in the very deep end of the professional boxing pool and that is impressive.
I was able to speak with Rolls this week as he relaxed at home with his fiancé and newborn daughter of six and a half months.
“I realized what I was getting into when I signed the contract.”
I was ready. It didn’t bother me or affect me at all. It was a tremendous experience all the way around, but I wasn’t fazed by any of it. The venue, the media if anything it was a positive for me. Made me really focus.
Things were going along as planned early.”
Things were going as planned as Rolls stood at a nice distance and used his jab and high defence to keep a cold Golovkin at bay. Rolls got into things in the second and third round landing a nice left hook and countering GGG before the turning point came in the fourth.
“GGG is known for his shot over the top, looping style hook that smashes on top of the head. He hadn’t used that shot in more recent fights but he got one through my defence and it disoriented me.”
From there, Golovkin was able to land a killer left hook on a retreating, back hitting the ropes Rolls. It was over in the fourth round, but you can immediately hear a hunger to return in Rolls voice.
“I want to make sure everyone knows I’m not done. That night was a great experience but I feel like I am just getting started really. My manager has already thrown a couple of names out there for a return in September.”
“I want a world title shot in 2020.”
Rolls started at the Chatham Boxing Club at seventeen years old and he now lives and trains under two different gyms in the Toronto area. Rolls trains in Mississauga with Tommy Howat and in North York with Ryan Grant.
Obviously when you get knocked out in the fourth round, it’s not necessarily the result that you want, but you lose and you learn is the saying in professional sports and Rolls is hungry to back on the winning streak and back into the ring in the middle of The Garden.
Chatham should be proud and watching. I look forward to seeing his next move.