By Miguel Assuncao
Gennady Golovkin (36-0-0, 33KOs) retained his WBC, IBO and IBF middleweight titles in brutal fashion as Kell Brook's (36-1, 25KOs) corner throw in the towel during round five.
Fighting on British soil for the first time, ‘GGG’ landed a trademark left hook to push the Sheffield man onto the ropes before unleashing a barrage of punishing punches which prompted trainer Dominic Ingle to wave the towel much to the displeasure of partisan home crowd at O2 Arena, London.
The win means the 34-year-old California-based Kazakh extends his knockout record to 23 fights dating back to 2008.
Pre-fight rumours Golovkin was unwell appeared unfounded as he pressed Brook from the opening bill, landing several crisp short shots only to see the Brit return fire with an impressive uppercut in the second, which the champion acknowledged.
'Special K' showed he was a force to be reckoned with in the third, drawing blood from 'GGG' with right uppercut to left hook combination only to see Golovkin reply with a sickening energy sapping left to the body in the fourth.
Brook - the IBF welterweight champion - moved up two weight divisions to challenge one of the sports most feared knockout artists and will be proud of his efforts despite taking punishment in the final round.
In front of a crowd dotted with A-list boxing personalities and British celebrities, Golovkin undoubtedly made a lasting impression, as the pro-Brook crowd gave the champion an ovation on his way from the ring.
Brook, 30, is now expected to drop down in weight as Golovkin continues to target an allusive clash with rival Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
Matthew Macklin, who himself was knocked out by Golovkin a few years ago, was working as an expert analyst at ringside and praised Brook for his effort.
"It was a very compassionate decision. Dominic Ingle has had him from a young kid. He cares for his fighters. Kell boxed absolutely brilliantly, the way he was frustrating him, giving him angles, on the ropes he was like a bar of soap. At times he was making Golovkin look clumsy," Macklin said to Sky Sports.
"It's a daunting task and he had a bad injury to deal with. As the fight was going on Golovkin was starting to land clearly, he boxed above and beyond. I think going two weight divisions took the toll with the bigger man coming out on top."
