Gennady Golovkin sparked a remarkable 23-fight period of total dominance which led to a sensational trilogy with Canelo Alvarez.
‘GGG’ is considered one of the most gifted fighters in the modern era, having beaten and duelled with some of his fellow great operators, while showing a steel chin and ferocious punching power.
After silver medal success in the 2004 Olympics, Golovkin turned professional in May 2006, and put together a perfect 13-0 record with just three fights going the distance.
But his period of frightening invincibility began in November 2008 when he took on Malik Sziarra looking to continue his charge through the ranks.
Golovkin was showing on all levels that he was a supreme talent, and his crackling output continued against another helpless opponent.
He started the contest at a relentless pace sending regular crushing blows through the guard, as he trundled slowly towards his rival.
The Kazakh star was never afraid to take control of centre ring and a barrage of shots hit their target cutting the right eye badly.
Sziarra was badly battered and out of his depth, which saw his corner pull him out.
But what was to come from Golovkin was simply unprecedented, but having felt his punching power, Sziarra wouldn’t at all be surprised.
He gradually increased in level but the stoppages didn’t dry up, as he stopped seven opponents before landing a shot at the widely ignored IBO world title.
It put him on the radar for a world title shot as he thumped Lajuan Simon on familiar ground in Germany in December 2011 to first claim the scrap.
He began facing more formidable opposition, knocking out Gabe Rosado and Matthew Macklin in two headline attractions at Madison Square Garden in New York.
His fearsome KO streak was the talk of the globe, and the frightening talent’s profile continued to build week on week.
But his breakout moment came in October 2015, when he flattened David Lemieux, to become world champion and land his 21st consecutive KO.
Respected operators were clambering in the ring with the rising star and simply unable to cope with his aggression and ferocious output.
Boxing fans were questioning who would halt his mean streak of not hearing the final bell, with Dominic Wade and British icon Kell Brook also left in his wake in a sensational two-fight 2016.
Golovkin had reached 23 consecutive KOs, placing him up there with stoppage streaks as impressive as heavyweights such as Earnie Shavers, Vitali Klitschko and George Foreman.
But it was Daniel Jacobs who stood in his way, an elite mover and powerful puncher who was the one to halt his remarkable streak.
Golovkin dropped the American with a stunning shot in the fourth round, and proceedings looked to be following the same pattern they always did.
But the stubborn operator, despite missing weight, rose to his feet and resisted the blistering attacks until the final bell sounded, an unfamiliar occurrence for Golovkin.
Although the streak was over, his eye-catching displays had sent him into a new stardom, and placed him on a one-way trajectory to a new rivalry with Mexican superstar Alvarez.
His first fight with Alvarez in the US was a commercial blockbuster, his biggest payday and a chance to write his name in the headlines.
Golovkin proved every bit as tough for the technically sensational Mexican, who struggled to deal with his lasting tempo.
The majority of the boxing world believed he had done enough to hand Alvarez a second career defeat, but it was instead scored a contentious draw.
His stocks rose to new heights despite missing out on the glory, and a rematch came with intense scrutiny forcing through an agreement.
Golovkin, who had never been dropped, kept his defensive brilliance again and went stride for stride with the Mexican one year later in 2018.
Again, many fans believed the fearless champion had done enough to beat Alvarez, but this time he was handed a second career defeat of his own.
The loss was hard to take and as he approached the back end of his stellar career, it was to feel like serious opportunities had been taken away from him.
In his most recent and seemingly final fight, Golovkin took on Alvarez again but finally the Mexican got a win that it was hard to argue against in a merited points victory.
No-one was able to severely damage the Eastern European icon during his career, but he left a trail of destruction during his stellar time as a pro.
Golovkin’s legacy remains, and having had 400 fights in the squared circle all-in-all, his domination is clear for all to see.
