CARSON, Calif. – It was a quick thank you. Gennady Golovkin delivered it efficiently, precisely and exactly as promised.
Vanes Martirosyan never had a chance. He was just there, like a Cinco De May piñata, or perhaps a billboard targeted to carry a message for who was supposed to be there instead, but wasn’t because of two positive PED tests in February.
Was suspended Canelo Alvarez watching? Who knows? If he was, he didn’t have to watch for long. GGG (38-0-1, 34 KOs) didn’t waste much time. It probably took him longer to finish his entrance, which took him around the ring and to his corner in a walk that allowed him to wave to as many of the 7,837 fans at StubHub Center as possible.
It took him less than two rounds to finish Martirosyan, a huge underdog who actually surprised him in the opening round. Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs) landed early, landed late. On the 15 Rounds card, he was leading, 10-9, after the first three minutes.
The next 113 seconds, however, were a very different story. GGG, awakened and energized, went to work in a fashion as ruthless as it was sudden. A big left hand started it. Then, there were at least three successive jabs. A couple of more lefts followed. Martirosyan was down, his face on the canvas. He tried to get up, but fell forward. Referee Jack Reiss immediately and wisely wave it off. GGG had his 34th knockout and a 20th straight defense of two of middleweight titles, tying a record held by Brnard Hopkins.
“I want everybody,’’ GGG said when asked who he would like to fight next.
Next, of course, begged the inevitable question:
Canelo?
“Absolutely,’’ he said.
But that’s a rich rematch that still has to negotiated and those talks figure to be a lot more difficult than the GGG fight Saturday night was.
But for one night, he had a reason to celebrate and thank his Southern California fan base. Along the way, he also got some appreciation form another one of South California fans. Martirosyan knew he had power. But feeling it was something else.
“It was like being hit by a train,’’ he said. “Not just one punch. All of his punches.’’
In a controversial welterweight fight, women’s champion Cecilia Braekhus (33-0, 9 KOs) survived a knockdown for a unanimous decision over tough Kali Reis (13-7-1, 4 KOs).
Best Of The Undercard
Kazakh junior-welterweight Ruslan Madiyev (12-0, 5 KOs) warmed up the ring for Golovkin, his fellow countryman and stablemate, with a sudden burst of energy and power over the last couple of rounds for a furious finish to a unanimous decision over Jesus Perez (22-1,16 KOs) of Tijuana.
The Rest
Cleveland prospect Ryan Martin (22-0, 12 KOs), looking more comfortable and powerful at 140 pounds, overcame a point penalty for low blows in the fourth and went on to a unanimous decision over Breidis Prescott (31-12, 22 KOs), a one-hit wonder still remembered for knocking out Amir Khan.
New York welterweight Brian Ceballo (2-0, 1 KO) employed patience and precision throughout four one-sided rounds for a unanimous decision over Nam Phan (3-6, 2 KOs) of Grand Garden, Calif.
Los Angeles junior-flyweight Jesse Rodriguez (6-0, 4 KOs) opened the show with a blinding succession of punches, including a head-rocking left for a third-round stoppage of Armando Vasquez (25-22-1, 7 KOs) of Mexicali.
