Gennady Golovkin steamrolls Steve Rolls and callsout Canelo for the trilogy!
The end came quick for Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KO’s) in Madison Square Garden. Although the knockout scored in the fourth was showcase worthy, it was far from a flawless performance.
Against the relatively unknown Canadian Steve Rolls (19-0, 10 KO’s), the former middleweight champion was not exactly the ring cutting monster of the past. Not only did GGG not supply his typical dominance, he was definitely getting touched up quite a bit.
The Breakdown
The first round saw Rolls coming out behind his jab, standing on what looked to be very shaky legs. Golovkin more or less follows him around the ring without much mention-worthy offense. Then, in the final 30 seconds, GGG rips a number of hurtful hooks to the body, delighting the crowd.
It was in the second round that things got interesting. Here, Rolls actually enjoyed a large amount of success with body shots and combination punching to the head.
The unlikely Canadian also landed quite a few jab, straight-right combos on Golovkin’s face. The only real success that GGG enjoyed was when Rolls insisted on shelling up and allowing Golovkin to walk straight to him.
Once on the inside, Rolls simply allowed GGG a number of free shots. This ill-advised defensive style would be his undoing.
The third round was by far the most fun and competitive, as both men went tit-for-tat to the head and body. Rolls’ complete lack of a jab was proving to be a strategic nightmare.
The end came suddenly in the fourth. After being hurt in center ring, Rolls was backed to the ropes by way of several well-placed shots to the top of the head and rib cage.
Once his back was against the straps, Golovkin landed a fight-ending left hook on Rolls jaw that sent him falling face first on the canvas. He attempted to rise, but fell into the ropes. The always-animated referee Steve Willis was able to administer the formal ten count.
In the end, Gennady Golovkin scored his thrilling knockout, but he also showed a bunch of vulnerability against someone he was “supposed” to destroy.
By: Bakari Simpson
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