Gennady Golovkin was expected to defeat Irish challenger Matthew Macklin last night Connecticut, but the manner of victory was even more emphatic than anticipated.
The “Tipperary Tornado” was expecting a difficult night in the right against the Kazakh boxer who was making his eight title defence of his WBO middleweight title, but by round three the game was up.
Golovkin’s relentless pressure and precision power punching were on display from the very beginning of the bout, quickly breaking down the usually durable Macklin before the contest was ended in the third round.
Macklin, struggling to come to terms with Golovkin’s onslaught, was floored after a brutal left-hook, a punch that has led some commentators saying this morning that it was one of the most savage body shots of all-time as Golovkin took his career record to an impressive 27-0.
“It was an easy fight for me,” Golovkin said afterwards. “He never hurt me. I felt great in the ring. I want to fight again as soon as possible. Any top fighter, any champion, any belt holder, anywhere.”
Macklin for his part conceded that the better fighter won and that he had no answer to his opponent’s power.
“He’s the best I ever fought. He never let me get started.”
It could be a bruising few days for Macklin as he recovers from this defeat.
