Gennady Golovkin was successful in his latest title defense of the middleweight crowns, knocking out Vanes Martirosyan in the second round of their Cinco de Mayo showdown on Saturday (May 5) at StubHub Center in Carson, California. A report by the Guardian was used as an information source for this article.

Golovkin, 36, withstood a flurry of punches from his Armenian-American challenger in the first round, as Martirosyan’s stiff jabs caused a red patch on GGG’s face after the initial three minutes of their championship fight.

But the unified champion never doubted his punching power.

Golovkin continued to trade punches in the second round, hoping a solid punch would change the complexion of the match, and it did. GGG cornered Martirosyan against the ropes before unleashing a rapid-fire combination that proved too much for the challenger to evade. The Kazakh scored a knockout win at 1:53 mark of the second round.

History-maker and potential Canelo rematch

Golovkin has now tied the record of Bernard Hopkins with his 20th title defense in the middleweight division. The Cinco de Mayo date was supposed to stage his rematch with Canelo Alvarez after their first encounter in September last year ended in a controversial draw. However, the Mexican was tested positive for a banned substance (clenbuterol), forcing Martirosyan to step up as a replacement on three week’s notice.

Still, there are many reasons why Golovkin-Canelo rematch should push through. From the business standpoint, their first go-around was a massive success as it generated 1.3 million pay-per-view sales and $27 million in live gate revenue. Also, Boxing direly needs a new cash cow following the retirement of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Some pundits believe the winner of this rivalry will be considered as the face of boxing, commanding millions in cash in his upcoming fights and reviving boxing in the process.

Here come the other challengers

In a post-match interview, Golovkin never backtracked from his desire to fight Canelo Alvarez the second time around in September.

After all, the suspension on Canelo will be lifted on August 17, clearing a major obstacle for their rematch.

On the other hand, Dan Rafael of ESPN noted that Golovkin’s camp is eyeing a couple of fighters if negotiations with Canelo and Golden Boy Promotions breaks down. The veteran boxing writer said WBC light middleweight champ Jermell Charlo and WBO middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders are seriously being considered.

“I was with GGG and Abel at their hotel for about an hour yesterday. They mentioned possible fights with both of them," Rafael wrote during the chat session in response to a question by a fan about whether there are other options outside the Canelo fight in September.

Charlo, undefeated in 30 fights with 15 knockouts, is scheduled to fight Austin Trout for his third title defense of the WBC strap on June 9. Another undefeated middleweight, Saunders will defend his title against countryman Martin Murray on June 23. Both would provide an intriguing matchup for Golovkin, who already expressed his intention of breaking Hopkins’ title defense record.