Gennady Golovkin managed to silence his critics once again on Saturday night after scoring a second-round knockout victory against Marco Antonio Rubio at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Golovkin, the reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) middleweight champion, was in control right from the opening bell and intensified his chase further in the second round en route to the stoppage victory.
The 32-year-old landed a right hand and a left uppercut that rocked Rubio before Golovkin connected on another powerful left to send his opponent down to the canvass. Rubio tried beat the count, but he failed to do so as Golovkin successfully defended his world title.
"The uppercut -- he was very badly hurt, and I knew I had him," Golovkin said via ESPN. "I was happy he came forward. He fought Mexican style and he tried to hurt me, but my power was too much for him tonight."
With the win, Golovkin improved his record to 31-0 with 28 knockout victories, which is the highest knockout percentage among active world champions at 90.3 percent.
Golovkin also won the interim World Boxing Council (WBC) middleweight title, which means that he will likely face either Miguel Cotto or Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in one of his fights next year. Cotto and Alvarez will reportedly fight for the WBC middleweight title in May next year with the winner facing Golovkin in a title unification bout.
"This puts Gennady in for a mandatory fight with the winner of that fight [Cotto-Alvarez]," Golovkin's promoter, Tom Loeffler, said. "That was our strategy for fighting Rubio, besides the fact that as a Mexican this was the perfect location for the fight, and Gennady put on a great performance. Gennady is not going to pull any punches."
Golovkin reiterated that he is ready to face anybody next year. But if he will have it his way, he wants a fight against Cotto before facing Alvarez or even Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
"I will fight anybody. I think first Miguel Cotto," said Golovkin, who is reportedly planning to fight four times in 2015 with first one scheduled in February. "I respect Canelo, he is good, but Chavez, too. But first Miguel Cotto."
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