GGG vs Martirosyan results: Why Golovkin's win was impressive

Prior to tonight's showdown between undefeated middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) and WBC #1 super welterweight Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (36-4-1, 21 KOs), there was talk over whether the former was losing his ring prowess at 36.

After recording 23 straight knockouts, Gennady went the distance twice in 2017. He defeated Daniel Jacobs by a slim margin and was forced to settle for a draw against Canelo Alvarez in a close fight most believed Golovkin should have been awarded.

Is the tenacity still there?

In the second stanza of his bout with Martirosyan tonight, we found out.

After Martirosyan appeared to have won the first round, Golovkin trapped Vanes on the ropes In Round 2 and unleashed a nasty combination that floored his foe who was subsequently counted out.

Time was 1:53.

Real power.

To Martirosyan's credit, he took the fight to Gennady early on and seemed to have had a strategy; however, once GGG found his range and timing he was able to slip Martirosyan's shots and position himself well to uncork his bombs.

Yes, Martirosyan was a heavy underdog but he'd never keen KO'd in 40 fights and had hardly been hurt. In fact, entering tonight's bout, he could have easily been 39-1 had he gotten the benefit of the doubt in several close, controversial decisions.

Given the skills and durability of his opponent, Gennady was very impressive in making short work Vanes who had never looked subpar or been anything close to dominated in a professional fight.

“It feels great to get a knockout,” Golovkin said. “Vanes is a very good fighter. He caught me a few times in the first round. In the second round, I came out all business, after I felt him out in the first round.”

With the win, Golovkin recorded his 20th straight title at middleweight, tying the record set by Bernard Hopkins.

Golovkin vs Martirosyan highlights