Saturday night was one of those rare occasions where boxing fans could feel some gratification in their love for the sport. It was an evening long etched into the diaries of boxing fans, ever since July with the huge announcement that Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin was to visit the UK to defend his middleweight titles against IBF welterweight champ Kell Brook. So often in these cases, the action never quite matches the hype, thankfully on Saturday night, it did. Here, we discuss the fallout from the main event, and potential next steps for both men.
Kell Brook
Video: Can anyone truly test Gennady Golovkin?
Middleweight sensation Gennady Golovkin continued his reign of dominance when he stopped a brave but overmatched Kell Brook in the 5th round this past weekend. With the victory Golovkin now has 17 successful title defense, and is riding an impressive streak of 23 consecutive victories coming by way of knockout. During this mighty run Golovkin has hardly lost any rounds along the way. He has been extremely dominant while consistently displaying an extremely crowd pleasing and fan friendly fighting style.
Golovkin KOs Brook in the 5th Round – Is Saunders next?
Middleweight knockout sensation Gennady “GGG” Golovkin scored a fifth round technical knockout victory over “Special One” Kell Brook in an action-packed bout that was competitive for the first four rounds until GGG ended it in the next round when he connected on several powerful unanswered punches that led Brook’s corner to throw in the towel to prevent their boxer from taking any more punishment.
This fight took place at the sold-out O2 Arena in London, England with a crowd of 19,000, mostly pro-Brook fans. The bout was televised on HBO. Golovkin connected on 133 out of 301 shots for 44 per cent while Brook landed 85 out of 261 punches for 33 per cent.
Boxing has different weight classes for a reason
Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, is a saying that British boxing fans should consider following Kell Brook’s fifth round TKO defeat to Gennady GGG Golovkin. The all too predictable outcome at the O2 arena in London on Saturday night comes just a few months after Brook’s fellow countryman Amir Khan met a similar fate at the hands of Mexican, Saul Alvarez. Fans must be scratching their heads and wondering how they fell for the same old ruse again? Brook and Khan both moved up two weight classes from welterweight to challenge for the middleweight crown and both got flattened by a proverbial steamroller. Brook boxed well for the few rounds that the contest lasted and showed a ‘champion’s heart’. But when we’ve exhausted all the usual platitudes and finished lauding Kell’s ‘unquestionable courage’, boxing fans need to ask why these mismatches continue to be made? Money, name recognition, a lack of willing challengers, a built in excuse for defeat, are all the usual suspects. A big payday for the fighters, promoters and media, but sadly an all too predictable show for the fans.
Golovkin vs Brook, Chocolatito Gonzalez vs Cuadras Recap
By Jason Gonzalez, Real Combat Media.com: Gennady Golovkin (36-0) took on Kell Brook (36-1) this Saturday at the O2 Arena in Greenwich, London. Golovkin won the fight by TKO in the fifth round after Brook’s corner decided that Brook had taken enough punishment. Leading up to the fight Golovkin was under major scrutiny for deciding to fight a guy who is two weight classes under him. Even though the fight did end early as many predicted boxing fans and critics learned at least one thing that night; Golovkin can be hurt. It was obvious from round one that Golovkin’s power was to much for Brook, but there was several times where Golovkin did look vulnerable. This is something that had not been seen before. Before this fight it looked like Golovkin was this invisible monster at Middleweight who would destroy Saul Canelo Álvarez. Now it seems as if Golovkin has a chink in his armor.
Video – Billy Joe Saunders: Golovkin, no problem at all
Can unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO middleweight champion, do something, anything, against middleweight king Gennady Golovkin? Triple-G called out the southpaw last night, just after he had broken and beaten a brave Kell Brook, and Saunders, 23-0(12) has answered in kind, saying on social media how he is “ready when you are.”
Saunders has not yet boxed this year, his last ring appearance coming in December of 2015, when he scored a most impressive points win over Irishman Andy Lee. 27 year-old Saunders is set to see action, against a TBA, on the upcoming October 29 Fury-Klitschko II card in Manchester and after that Saunders says he will be happy to get it on with GGG.
Golovkin vs Brook: Size Matters!
If ever a national anthem was suited to a fighter it is the Kazakh anthem that booms out before a Gennady Golovkin fight. It conjurs up the image of a column of tanks coming over the hill, guns blazing as they sweep all before them. The fighter known as GGG has a style redolent of said column of tanks on the offensive – merciless, relentless, and unstoppable.
Kell Brook did everything he could to withstand the middlewight world champion’s assault, but apart from a tremendous second round he spent the fight backpedaling like a man trying but failing to ward off a swarm of angry bees. GGG is every bit as fearsome and machine-like as his astonishing KO percentage suggests, a fighter who combines ferocious intensity with the ability to generate truly frightening torque behind his shots.
Golovkin – Brook: Brave but broken, Kell Brook will have surgery on his broken eye socket
Kell Brook gave it a damn fine shot last night, as he challenged the fierce, relentless punching machine that is the unbeaten (unbeatable?) middleweight king Gennady Golovkin. Showing the kind of admirable grit that makes fight fans so passionate about the sport of boxing, the outgunned challenger met fire with fire.
Brook really had no choice but to fight back as best he could, as GGG was soon showing off his superb ability at cutting off the ring, giving the faster Brook no room to work.
Results: Golovkin destroys Brook
Fighting in front of a sold-out crowd of over 19,000 at The O2 in London, England, Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, (36-0, 33 KO’s) stopped Undefeated British Boxing Star and Welterweight World Champion “The Special One” Kell Brook, (36-1, 25KO’s) in the fifth round of an action packed clash from the opening bell.
Results: Golovkin stops Brook; Haskins beats Hall
In a great action fight, middleweight king Gennady Golovkin stopped an incredibly brave Kell Brook in the 5 th round when the challenger’s trainer Dominic Ingle threw in the towel with Brook, busted up, taking a sustained beating. Full report to follow
Lee Haskins retains IBF bantamweight belt with controversial decision over Stuey Hall
Tonight on the big Golovkin-Brook card in London, IBF bantamweight champion Lee Haskins won a 12 round decision over old foe Stuart Hall. After an engrossing and entertaining battle, Haskins retained his belt by scores of 117-111, 115-113 and 116-112.