It had been a while since we saw a Gennady Golovkin knockout, but “GGG” reminded boxing fans just how terrifying he could be last night (Sat., May 5, 2018) with a thrashing of late replacement Vanes Martirosyan live on HBO from inside StubHub Center in Carson California.
Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KO) actually started pretty well, weathering Golovkin’s (38-0-1, 34 KO) piledriver jab and landing solid combinations, including a straight left that appeared to briefly sting the middleweight king.
Once the second rolled around, though, Golovkin began finding a home for his right hand, especially a booming uppercut that forced Martirosyan to clinch early. An uppercut and crossed pushed Martirosyan to the ropes, where “GGG” mixed up jabs and crosses until a left hook all but turned the lights out. Golovkin battered him until “The Nightmare” went down and Martirosyan, beaten, waited out the count.
Martirosyan had never been stopped.
Golovkin now has Canelo Alvarez, IBF mandatory Sergiy Derevyanchenko, and WBC mandatory Jermall Charlo in front of him. Let’s see where he goes from here.
In the opening feature, women’s pound-for-pound great Cecilia Braekhus had a surprisingly difficult U.S. debut against Kali Reis. Braekhus’ (33-0, 9 KO) speed, combinations, and sharper punching allowed her to cruise through the first six rounds, racking up points with increasing volume. In the seventh, though, Reis (13-7-1, 4 KO) countered a jab with a sharp right cross that forced Braekhus to take a count for the first time in her career.
The momentum shift wasn’t to last, however, and Braekhus got back into her rhythm on her way to a unanimous decision win.
For complete GGG vs. Martirosyan results and coverage click here