Gennady Golovkin has always been revered for his massive power at the middleweight limit during his career, likely never more evident than in his spectacular boxing debut on US soil.
Boasting an unbeaten 23-0 pro record at the time of his first venture to the ring in the United States, veteran megastar Gennady Golovkin had previously landed a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.
And previously scooping interim WBA middleweight crown, had also won IBO spoils at the same weight class before his debut in North America.
But upon landing on US soil, Golovkin would turn in a masterclass performance, putting his divisional peers on notice from the get-go.
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Gennady Golovkinβs power stunned Grzegorz Proksa
Scoring an impressive three separate knockdowns against Polish opponent Grzegorz Proksa during their 2012 showdown in New York, Golovkin became the first fighter to drop the Myslowice native in the ring.
And doing so in emphatic fashion, Golovkin would score a pair of knockdowns in the fifth round, including a fight-ending shot which sent Proksa to the canvas.
Scoring another victory to improve him to 24-0 as a professional, Golovkin had landed his 21st stoppage triumph in the ring, leading to a stark admission from Proksa post-fight.
βThe guy (Gennady Golovkin) hits like a hammer,β Proksa said post-fight. βI tried everything, but it did not work. You have to give him credit, because he had a good handle on the situation and it was an honor to meet him in the ring.β
Gennady Golovkin offered spectacular boxing comeback
Yet to enter the ring since his trilogy loss to Canelo Alvarez back in 2022, Golovkin turned heads earlier this month, claiming he was weighing up a potential return to the ring for the first time in just over three years.
Furthermore, the Kazakh native has been mooted as a potential foe for Chris Eubank Jr. off the back of his rematch with Conor Benn later this annum.
Golovkin was, of course, locked in talks to take on Eubank Jr. back in 2016, until the pairing hit the skids with Golovkin instead knocking out Kell Brook in a brutally damaging win.