Middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin returns to the ring on May 5 against tough late replacement Vanes Martirosyan at the StubHub in Carson, California. Undisputed women’s welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus puts her belts on the line against Kali Reis. The action will be broadcast live on HBO World Championship Boxing.
Cinco de Mayo is one of the biggest dates in boxing and even though Golovkin’s rematch with Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fell through he still insisted on fighting to please his loyal fans with a chance to see him live on the Mexican Holiday.
GGG holds the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles, he is unbeaten (37-0-1, 33 KOs) and if he defeats Vanes tonight it will give him title defense number 20, tying him with now retired Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins, for most championship defenses in the middleweight division.
At the same time Golovkin wants to put on a Big Drama Show with a Mexican-Style performance sure to please the predominantly Mexican-American crowd.
On the other side of the ring, Vanes Martirosyan (36-3-1, 21 KOs), a 31-year-old Armenian-American, and 2004 US Olympian, this is his biggest test and a chance to become a first time champion and put his name in the history books with an upset over the long reigning champ.
The opening bout of the night features undisputed female welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus (32-0, 9 K0s), defending her WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF belts against challenger Kali Reis (13-6-1, 4 KOs). Braekhus wants to impress in her US boxing debut.
Braekhus at 36-years-old knows her time is coming in the sport and the younger women like US two-time Olympic Gold medalist Clarissa Shields are going for her crown. Also UFC featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Justino wants to crossover to the boxing world to challenge the welterweight Queen.
This will be an exciting night of championship doubleheader action, two undefeated boxing champions male and female headlining a card on Cinco de Mayo.
Gennady Golovkin vs Vanes Martirosyan, Cecilia Braekhus vs Kali Reis Live on May 5, 2018 at 11 PM ET/PT on HBO World Championship Boxing.
