GGG makes light work of 20th middleweight title defence against stand-in opponent following Canelo's failed drugs test
GENNADY GOLOVKIN celebrated Cinco de Mayo in style – even in the absence of Saul Alvarez.
The Kazakh destroyer crushed stand-in challenger Vanes Martirosyan inside two rounds in California as he won his 20th consecutive middleweight title defence.
The fight was arranged at the last minute after GGG’s rematch with Canelo fell apart following the Mexican’s failed drug test.
Golovkin and Alvarez – who has been banned for six months – fought to a controversial draw last September and were set to go toe-to-toe again in another blockbuster on the Mexican holiday.
In front of what should have been his crowd, mention of Canelo’s name was booed by the 7,837 spectators at the StubHub Centre.
And then chants of “Triple G, Triple G” rang out following Golovkin’s brutal KO combination.
Golovkin, now 38-0-1, was actually tagged with a strong three-punch salvo from Martirosyan (36-4-1) late in the first round.
But he responded in the second with a devastating charge that dropped former US Olympian Martirosyan face-first to the canvas.
Golovkin, 36, pummeled Martirosyan with a jab, a double right hand, a left hook, another right hand and a crushing left.
Martirosyan, 32, got up to his knees but was in no shape to continue and referee Jack Reiss waved it off after 1:53 of the second round for Golovkin’s 34th career knockout.
After the bout, Golovkin suggested he would be open to a rematch with Alvarez, touted for September.
He said: “I’m ready any time. I’m still champion of the world. Nine years. I have 11 belts. Come take my belts now.
“I want everyone. I have a lot of belts. I challenge anyone to come and take my belts. I don't care who. Let's clean out the division.
“It feels great to get a knockout. 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.”
Martirosyan, who had been out of the ring for two years after losing his light middleweight titles to Erislandy Lara, admitted: “It was like being hit by a train.
“It wasn’t one punch. It was all of his punches. It’s the hardest I’ve ever been hit.”