GOLOVKIN DEGRADES WADE

Fight fans now go into a Gennady Golovkin fight hoping against hope, against history, against credible theorizing, that his foe will live up to the talking he did coming into the fight.

They all say something along the same lines: I'm different.

He's not all that.

I can shock Planet Pugilism.

Once again, the difference between the talk and the walk was a mile wide, as on Saturday night at the Forum in Los Angeles, and on HBO, Golovkin did they now completely commonplace, and dropped and stopped his opponent.

In round two, the deceptively kind faced Kazahk put together a flurry of blows, which had the ref step in and pull the plug on Dominic Wade. He hit the deck in round one, and twice in the second. His body and brain took a shock, not fight fans.

This was the 23rd straight time GGG, now a California resident, provided a KO finish, nine years ago was the last time he didn't.

In the first, the 34 year old GGG (34-0; 159.5 Friday, 171 on fight night) looked at a soft waist. Wade grabbed at 2:05 already. A left to the body and then a right to the head registered at 1:10 for GGG. Wade went down at 10 seconds to go, off a right to the head. It landed behind the left ear. He looked out of his element.

In the second, the Marylander Wade (18-0 coming in; 18-1 and now truly able to assess his skill set; 159 Friday and 175 on Saturday) landed and GGG said cmon. A right to the shoulder, after a jab and left upper, sent Wade down at 1:05 and he looked hesitant to continue. Then again down went Wade at 32 seconds ..he stayed down, count of ten. A counter right, to the chin, sent him to the showers. Wade got to his feet when the ref was at 9 3/4.

Wade underperformed, coming in looking soft and not seeming to be irked that he was getting whaled, not struggling mightily to continue. But the fans got their two pounds of flesh. After, GGG said whoever wins on May 7, Canelo or Khan, he wants that belt. As per usual, he delighted his fans with his humble pronouncements in his delightfully halting English. Nobody ever complains it is not perfect, his punches speak more than loudly enough.

(Pic by Will Hart)

Here is Wade's message to his fans after the loss: