Gennady Golovkin remains undefeated, knocks out Matthew Macklin in three rounds

MASHANTUCKET, Conn. — So perhaps all the hype was warranted after all.

In what was supposed to be the toughest fight of his career, the knockout artist Gennady Golovkin instead turned his bout with English challenger Matthew Macklin into another personal showcase, spinning the idea on its head that he’s still an unproven commodity who has made his name against pedestrian opposition.

Golovkin started fast on Saturday night, stunning Macklin several times in the first round before he finished him off two rounds later with a devastating left hook that reverberated throughout Foxwoods Resort and Casino and the sport of boxing itself. It dropped Macklin to the canvas, where he rolled around in pain and was counted out at 1:22 of the third round of a scheduled 12-round middleweight bout.

With the knockout, Golovkin, 31, retained his WBA and IBO titles and set up a potential super match with WBC middleweight champ Sergio Martinez, regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the sport whose stock has dropped recently after a humdrum effort in an April win over Martin Murray.

“That was one of the hardest body shots I’ve ever heard," said promoter Lou DiBella, who represents Macklin and also handles Martinez. “The last time I saw a body shot like that was when Roy Jones landed a shot against Virgil Hill. I heard something crack.”

While doubts about Martinez’s future might be creeping in, there’s no doubt that the Kazakhstan-born Golovkin (27-0, 24 KOs) remains one of the hottest boxers in the sport, a punching machine whose aggressive style has earned him a lot of praise — and criticism. Despite his success — he possessed an 88.5% knockout percentage entering the bout and has now stopped his last 14 opponents via KO — Golovkin had been criticized for making his name on the backs of less-than-spectacular opposition and Macklin was thought to represent his toughest challenge to date. So much for the naysayers who thought Golovkin was just a product of the hype machine. “It was an easy fight for me,” Golovkin, who lives in Stuttgart, Germany, said in the ring. “He never hurt me. I felt fantastic. I want to fight soon, any top fighter, any belt holder, any champion, anywhere.”

Golovkin showed little respect for Macklin’s punching power, quickly stalking him around the ring to start the fight. He landed a chopping right hand toward the end of the first that seemed to buckle Macklin slightly in the corner.

Macklin (29-5, 20 KOs) fought back, but Golovkin landed another left hook that pushed his opponent back into the ropes. Macklin survived that moment, but soon another right-left combination had him stumbling into the ropes once more to end the round.

Macklin had his best moment to start the third round, when he landed a quick right-left combination that briefly stopped Golovkin. But seconds later, Golovkin trapped Macklin along the ropes and unleashed a right uppercut followed by the wicked left hook to Macklin’s midsection that ended the bout.

Mabramson@nydailynews.com

Source: www.nydailynews.com/sports/more-sports/golovkin-golden-remains-undefeated-article-1.1386305

Gennady Golovkin stops Matthew Macklin in 3rd to successfully defend titles

By Associated Press

LEDYARD, Conn. — Undefeated German middleweight Gennady Golovkin stopped English challenger Matthew Macklin in the third round Saturday night to successfully defend his WBA and IBO titles.

Golovkin improved to 27-0 with his 24th knockout and 14th in a row, using a left hand to the body to flatten Macklin (29-5) 1:22 into the third. Golovkin dominated the first two rounds, landing several hard combinations.

“It was an easy fight for me,” Golovkin said. “I felt great in the ring. He never hurt me. I was very happy with my performance.”

Golovkin has made five successful title defenses and hasn’t gone the distance in a fight since June 2008 against Amar Amari in an eight-round bout.

Macklin has lost three of his last four fights. He lost a split decision to Felix Sturm in June 2011 for the WBA super middleweight crown, and dropped another title shot in March 2012 to Sergio Martinez.

“He never really let me get started,” Macklin said. “It was a great shot he landed. I tip my hat to him. He’s a great champion. He has plenty of clubbing, solid power, and you can feel the weight of every punch he throws.”

There was talk after the bout of a potential fight between Golovkin and Martinez, the WBC middleweight champion. Martinez, however, is nursing knee and hand injuries, and isn’t expected to resume boxing until 2014.

“I want to fight again very soon,” Golovkin said. “I want to fight any belt-holder, any champion, and any top fighter, anywhere.”
 

Source: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/gennady-golovkin-stops-matthew-macklin-in-3rd-to-successfully-defend-titles/2013/06/30/9c51a0c6-e13a-11e2-a0de-145598a7b2b7_story.html

Matthew Macklin stopped in third by Gennady Golovkin as latest world title bid fails

Matthew Macklin was outclassed by Gennady Golovkin as his latest bid to win a world middleweight title ended in a knockout.

The Birmingham-based Irishman was stopped inside three rounds in Connecticut by his unbeaten opponent, who held onto his WBA World belt and took his record to 27-0.

Macklin lost a disputed points decision to Felix Sturm in his first world title fight and was heroic in defeat to Sergio Martinez last year, but there was little solace the 31-year-old could take from a battering at Golovkin's hands.

The Kazakh was on the front foot from the first bell and opened a cut over Macklin's right eye in the second round, forcing the challenger to attack from the start of the third.

But Macklin's aggression got him nowhere, and he was pushed onto the ropes before Golovkin unloaded a left hook to the body to secure a 14th straight stoppage.

Macklin told Sky Sports after a fifth career defeat: "Without a shadow of a doubt, he's definitely the best kid I've ever fought.

"I had a plan to exploit his weakness which was his lack of experience - he's only been 10 rounds once - but credit to him, he didn't even let me get into any kind of rhythm at all.

"He was patient, he was hard to hit clean, kept the pressure on, picked his punches well and that body shot took it out of me.

Source:  www1.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/8799094/Matthew-Macklin-stopped-in-third-by-Gennady-Golovkin-as-latest-world-title-bid-ends-in-failure