At the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA, Saturday night 360/K2 Promotions (Tom Loeffler) and Don King Productions featured a 6 bout card over USA HBO.
WBA, WBC, IBF & IBO Middleweight Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, 38-0-1 (34), of KAZ and L.A., CA, knocked out Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan, 36-4-1 (21), of Armenia and Glendale, CA, at 1:53 of the second round.
In the first round Martirosyan seemed to have an edge as Golovkin may have been setting him up. In the second round Golovkin seemed upset by the first round showing and determined to end it early. He landed a double jab followed by a right to the chin of Martirosyan. He followed-up with a left and right combination on the chin and down went Martirosyan. As Referee Jack Reiss was counting Martirosyan tried to get up after going flat on his stomach but couldn’t as he was counted out. It was his twentieth title defense equaling that of Bernard Hopkins.
Only the WBC and WBA belts were on the line in this fight. Golovkin will return in September. The IBF didn’t recognize this as a title fight and insists Golovkin fight his No. 1 contender Russian Sergiy Derevyanchenko, 12-0 (10), out of Brooklyn, NY.
WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO & IBO Female Welterweight Champion Cecilia “First Lady” Braekhus, 33-0 (9), of COL and Bergen, Norway, defeated Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis, 13-7-1 (4), of Providence, RI, over 10 action packed rounds.
In the first round Braekhus used a good left hook to the head of Reis. Reis used her jab. In the second round Reis landed a left hook but was countered by Braekhus with a right to the chin. Close round. In the third round Reis opened up the round with a solid right cross to the head. Braekhus countered Reis with a left hook to the chin.
In the fourth round Reis countered with a good left hook to the head of Braekhus. The bout was a good close one. In the fifth round Braekhus landed a triple left hook to the body and head of Reis. In the sixth round Reis used a triple jab. Braekhus landed a solid lead right to the head of Reis causing a bloody nose.
In the seventh round Reis dropped Braekhus with a lead right to the head. Braekhus was up immediately but had to take the count from Referee Gerard White. In the eighth round Braekhus showed good foot movement. With seconds left in the round Reis almost dropped Braekhus with a right to the head. In the ninth round both boxers mixed it up well. In the tenth and final round Braekhus has landed upper cuts and straight lead rights to the head of Reis.
Judge’s scores were 98-92, 96-93 and this writer 98-92.