Message received, Gennadiy Golovkin.
If the 38-year-old wanted to show he could still put on some of the most masterful performances in boxing, he did that Friday. Golovkin’s technical prowess was on full display in a seventh-round stoppage victory over Kamil Szeremeta to defend his IBF middleweight title.
Golovkin set the record for the most title defenses by a middleweight in boxing history (21). But more importantly for his career, he had the type of outing that showed he is worthy of facing some of the sport’s top names, including rival Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Golovkin (41-1-1, 35 KOs) knocked Szeremeta down four times in an onslaught that started from the beginning of the fight. The champion sent Szeremeta to the canvas at the end of the first round with an uppercut followed by a left hand over the top.
From there, Golovkin overwhelmed Szeremeta (21-2-0, 5 KOs) the mandatory challenger who was fighting in the United States for only the second time in his career. Golovkin’s final knockdown came off a jab in the seventh, a testament to his dominance throughout the night.