The highly-anticipated Cinco de Mayo showdown everyone was waiting for did not happen, but Gennady Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) didn’t hesitate to put on a show for 7,837 fight fans at StubHub Center in Carson, California on Saturday night.
Golovkin dropped Vanes Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs) with a barrage of punches in the second round to win by knockout. The Kazakh champion retained all of his belts and tied Bernard Hopkins with 20 successful title defenses for a Middleweight.
“It feels great to get a knockout,” said Golovkin. “Vanes is a very good fighter. He caught me a few times in the first round. In the second round, I came out all business after I felt him out in the first round.”
The looming question is whether Golovkin will face Canelo Alvarez next?
“I’m ready,” said Golovkin. “Let’s do it in September.”
In the first round, Martirosyan landed a one-two combination that sent Golovkin backwards, but Round 2 was all GGG.
Golovkin hit Martirosyan with a left hook that staggered him against the ropes. Golovkin followed it with a left hook that wobbled Martirosyan before sending him to the canvas with three hard shots.
An overwhelmed Martirosyan said Golovkin was the hardest puncher he had ever faced and was the hardest he had ever been hit.
“It was like being hit by train,” said Martirosyan. “It wasn’t one punch, it was all the punches.”
Golovkin said he wants everyone, including Alvarez again in September and challenged everyone to come take his belts.
“I have lots of belts,” said Golovkin. “I don’t care who it is. Let’s clean the division out.”
Header photo by Tom Hogan/360 Boxing Promotions
