Gennady Golovkin has retained his WBA middleweight title with an 11th-round stoppage of Martin Murray.
The Kazakh fighter, widely regarded as the biggest pound-for-pound puncher in the sport, floored Murray three times before the referee stepped in to end the fight during the closing stages.
The defeat for Murray is just the second of a 32-fight career, but his bravery against the champion will deservedly earn praise and continue to enhance his fearsome reputation.
Murray started positively, but Golovkin began to find his range in the third before the following round saw Murray devastated by two knockdowns, both courtesy of body shots.
The end looked near for the British fighter and, while Golovkin continued to dominate the fight, Murray kept coming back with flurries of punches, although they barely made a dent in the champion.
The fight continued along the same pattern as it entered the championship rounds, but Golovkin produced another onslaught in the 10th and he dropped Murray with a thunderous right hand.
Murray survived, but Golovkin's relentless work finally paid off in the first minute of the 11th as the referee waved off the fight after Murray's head jolted back after another huge right against the ropes.
Victory for Golovkin sees him extend his undefeated professional record to 32 wins, and he now hopes to secure a unification showdown with Miguel Cotto.
Darren Plant
