He has held multiple middleweight world championships, and is a two-time unified champion, having held the IBF title since 2019 and the WBA (Super) title since April 2022. Previously he held the unified WBA (Super), WBC and IBF titles between 2014 and 2018. He is also a two-time IBO middleweight champion, in his second reign since 2019.
In 2010, Golovkin won the WBA interim middleweight title by defeating Milton Núñez. The WBA elevated him to Regular champion status in the same year. He won the IBO title the following year. In 2014, Golovkin was elevated to the status of WBA (Super) champion and successfully defended both his titles against Daniel Geale.
Álvarez’s personal dislike of Golovkin seemed awfully genuine, even while Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) downplayed any personal animus. The fighters stood nose-to-nose and motionless on stage in Hollywood for nearly two full minutes before a fairly terse news conference.