DANIEL Geale's plan was to avoid Kazakh champion Gennady Golovkin's power shots, but it took just three rounds and two big right hands to end the Australian's world title dream.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Golovkin inflicted a cut above Geale's eye in the first round, dropped the Tasmanian in the second round with a right hand and in the third connected with another massive right that ended the fight.
Referee Mike Ortega stepped in to give Golovkin the technical knockout victory.
It was the Kazakh's 17th straight knockout victory.
A timing error, an errant camera man and an accidental head-butt all worked against Geale.
The first round was four minutes long, instead of three.
In the first round Geale, attempting to avoid Golovkin, got his feet tangled in a camera strap on the canvas and fell heavily.
Then late in the round, when it should have been over, the head-butt opened a cut above Geale's right eye.
``A tough day at the office, hey?'' Geale joked after the fight.
Despite the bad luck, he did not blame any of the incidents on his performance.
He was overpowered by a fighter who has the highest knockout percentage of any current champion and the highest of any middleweight in history.
``He has immense power and caught me with a great shot,'' Geale said.
The Australian said as he got up he was shaking his head because he was disappointed he let Golovkin hit him, but referee Mike Ortega stopped the fight and gave Golovkin the technical knockout win.
Again, Geale did not criticise the referee.
``I thought the referee was going to speak to me and ask me if I was OK,'' he said.
At the end of the fight Golovkin told his fans to show Geale respect.
``Daniel Geale is a champion and gave his best,'' Golovkin said.
Geale had big hopes in the biggest fight of his career at New York's fabled Madison Square Garden but Golovkin was too strong and remains the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Organisation middleweight champion.