Tokyo, April 9 (BUS): Gennady Golovkin became the world middleweight champion after a pit stop in the ninth round of Japanese fighter Ryota Morata on Saturday.
Kazakh boxer Golovkin, who turned 40 on Friday, sent his opponent with a big right hand and patted Morata’s corner with a towel, the Associated Press said.
Golovkin has added Murata’s WBA title to the IBF and IBO belts after his first fight since December 2020.
The third match against Canelo Alvarez could be the next for Golovkin, whose only defeat in his professional career came in 44 matches, at the hands of the Mexican boxer.
Golovkin was shaken in the first rounds, but the right hook, who saw the mouthguard of Morata flying through the ring, in the fifth round changed the course of the fight.
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