20 little-known facts about Gennady Golovkin

16. Golovkin defeated Daniel Geale as both an amateur and professional

Gennady Golovkin has scored a slew of spectacular knockouts since bursting onto the American scene in 2012, but his stoppage of Daniel Geale in the third round of their 2014 bout in defense of his WBA and IBO titles ranks as perhaps his most stunning and perplexing. The fight-ending punch, a Golovkin counter right hand, came after the Kazakh had been tagged flush by a Geale cross. The power Golovkin harnessed on his shot seemed to defy physics.

In terms of myth building, Golovkin’s knockout of Geale was seemingly replayed on a loop, and it still pops up on boxing twitter. It serves as jaw-dropping evidence that Golovkin’s power, thanks in large part to exceptional balance, is special. While no one would mistake Geale for a truly elite fighter, he was a credible champion and worthy opponent for Golovkin at the time, making the thrashing he suffered that night all the more remarkable.

Interestingly, Golovkin also bested Geale in the amateurs. Geale, who is from Australia, notably lost a 15-3 decision to Golovkin at the 2001 East Asian Games, which the Kazakh would go on to win. As a pro, Geale went on to compile a respectable 6-3 record in world title fights as a middleweight, and he’s one of the few world champions who dared to face Golovkin at his peak (by then Geale had lost his title to Darren Barker).

Only four other fighters who have held world titles have dared to step into the ring against Gennady Golovkin. Although Geale had the swiftest exit in terms of the number of rounds he lasted, he was willing to stand up when so many others cowered. As for Golovkin, the Geale knockout remains one of the most indelible highlights of his career — right up there with his stretching of Nobuhiro Ishida and paralyzing body shot against Matthew Macklin.