Message received, Gennadiy Golovkin.
If the 38-year-old fighter wanted to show that he could still play some of the most masterful boxing appearances, he did so this Friday. Golovkin’s technical prowess was fully on display in a seventh-round knockout victory over Kamil Szeremeta to defend his IBF Middleweight title in Hollywood, Florida.
Golovkin set the record for the most title defenses by a middleweight in boxing history (21). But more importantly to his career, he had the kind of performance that proved himself worthy of taking on some of the biggest names in the sport, including rival Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez.
Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) dropped Szeremeta four times in an attack that started early in the fight. The champion sent Szeremeta to the canvas late in the first round with an uppercut followed by the left above him.
From there, Golovkin eliminated Szeremeta (21-1-0, 5 KO’s), the mandatory challenger who only fought in America for the second time in his career. Golovkin’s signature came with a jab in the seventh, testament to his dominance during the night, to seal the knockout.