Gennady Golovkin made a successful return to the ring after dominantly defending his IBF and IBO middleweight crowns against Kamil Szeremeta.
Golovkin (41-1-1) had not fought since October last year, when he stopped Sergiy Derevyanchenko by unanimous decision in New York.
But the Kazakh star had no trouble in his record-breaking title defence – a seventh-round TKO securing victory over the previously unbeaten Szeremeta (21-1) in Hollywood, Florida on Friday.
Golovkin, whose second-round knockout of Vanes Martirosyan in May 2018 saw him equal Bernard Hopkins' middleweight record of 20 consecutive defences before that run and his undefeated streak was ended by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in September of that year, was in control from the outset.
GGG knocks Szeremeta down AGAIN pic.twitter.com/8uUuF8xnxq
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 19, 2020
The 38-year-old dropped mandatory Polish challenger Szeremeta before the end of the opening round and again in the second.
Golovkin's power proved too much for Szeremeta to handle – the former's jabs ensuring his control was maintained.
21 MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE DEFENSES pic.twitter.com/F1BFhPI6pk
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 19, 2020
The end was nigh in the seventh round when Golovkin sent Szeremeta to the canvas for the fourth time of the fight, eventually bringing an end to proceedings as the referee waived off the bout.