NEW YORK (AP) — Gennady Golovkin retained the WBA and IBO middleweight championships, stopping Curtis Stevens at the end of the eighth round Saturday night.
The 31-year-old Golovkin, from Kazakhstan, improved to 28-0 in front of 4,618 fans mostly cheering for him
at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. He retained his titles for the fourth time this year and successfully defended a title for the ninth time as a professional.
Golovkin dropped Stevens late in the second round with consecutive left hooks and continued his assault with combinations near the ropes.
The end came with a dominating display in the eighth. Golovkin used his right hand to pound Stevens under his swollen left eye. The round ended with a series of body shots and Stevens’ corner stopped the fight.