Gennady Golovkin made a successful return to the ring Friday night, defending his IBF and IBO middleweight crowns against Kamil Szeremeta in dominant fashion.
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-setting title defense — a seventh-round TKO over the previously unbeaten Szeremeta (21-1) in Hollywood, Fla., and live on DAZN.
Golovkin, whose second-round knockout of Vanes Martirosyan in May 2018 saw him equal Bernard Hopkins' middleweight record of 20 consecutive defenses 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 challenger Szeremeta before the end of the opening round and again in the second.
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Golovkin's power proved too much for the Pole to handle; the champion used his jab to ensure he would maintain control.
21 MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE DEFENSES pic.twitter.com/F1BFhPI6pk
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 19, 2020
The end was nigh in the seventh when Golovkin sent Szeremeta to the canvas for the fourth time in the fight. Eventually, the referee waved off the bout to bring an end to the proceedings.