World middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin confirmed his status as the most devastating finisher in boxing here Saturday, demolishing American challenger Dominic Wade inside two rounds to score his 22nd consecutive knockout.
The 34-year-old Kazakh star, one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, delighted a packed house of 16,353 fans at Los Angeles’s famous Forum sports arena with an explosive performance to overwhelm Wade.
The Los Angeles-based Golovkin is aiming to become the biggest draw in boxing following the retirements in the past year of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao — and Saturday’s spectacular win only enhances his box office appeal.
Golovkin is hoping to secure a superfight against Mexican middleweight champion, Saul Canelo Alvarez, who fights Britain’s Amir Khan in Las Vegas next month.
Golovkin threw down the gauntlet for that fight after his latest knockout performance, challenging Alvarez to meet him.
“Give me my belt, I need my belt. I’m ready!” Golovkin said.
Golovkin, who improved to 35-0 with 32 knockouts, entered the ring to loud roars of support, with the stadium reverberating to chants of “Triple G, Triple G” throughout the bout.
Wade, who had been unbeaten in 18 fights prior to the contest, had entered the ring to the strains of Prince, a homage to the late music superstar who regularly played concerts at the Forum before his sudden death last week.
Yet a lyric of Prince’s anthem 1999 — “Trying to run from the destruction” — was to prove eerily prescient for Wade, who was in trouble almost from the opening bell as Golovkin went about his assignment with ruthless efficiency.
Golovkin dropped Wade for the first time towards the end of the first, flooring the American with a combination as he countered a left hook.
Although the blows that felled Wade did not appear to carry much of a sting, there was no ambiguity about the strength of the barrage he uncorked in the second.
Wade found the canvas once again after another venomous hook from Golovkin left him doubled over.
Wade rose and fought on but two left uppercuts followed by a right sent Wade crashing to the floor once more from where there was no return.
“His power is real,” the outclassed Wade said.
“I tried to get comfortable but once he hits you it makes it very hard to get comfortable.
“I could have done maybe one or two things differently but he’s a great champion and he’s got everything you need to be a great champion.” (AFP)
