Kazakhstan’s Best Male & Female Boxers Retired

The two best male and female boxers from Kazakhstan are retired. Both were world champions: Gennadiy “Triple G” Golovkin, who held the WBA, WBC, IBF, and IBO World Middleweight titles, and Christina Hammer, who held the WBC and WBO World Middleweight titles and the WBO Super Middleweight titles.

Golovkin, a 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist in Athens, Greece, turned professional in 2006 after a 345-8 amateur record and later as a promoter (GGG Promotions).

He was 37-0 when he was held to a disputed split decision draw on September 16, 2017, at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, with current Super Middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. He chased Alvarez for the last seven rounds around the ring. Dave Moretti awarded him a 115-113 decision and a draw with Don Trella 114-114. Judge Adalaide Byrd had it 118-110 for Alvarez and didn’t judge again for 30 days. She retired in 2024.

Golovkin made the mistake of changing trainers in either 2017 or 2019 from Abel Sanchez to Jonathan Banks. Either way, he went from a punching style to a boxer-puncher style in the rematch after scoring a knockout in his next fight against Vanes Martirosyan, 36-3-1, at Stub Hall Center, Carson, CA. He had a twenty-three-fight knockout streak stopped in his previous fight, defeating Daniel ‘Miracle Man’ Jacobs, 32-1, at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

The rematch with Alvarez was again at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 15, 2018, where he lost a majority decision. It wasn’t until September 22, 2022, some four years later, that they fought for a third time. He then retired at age 40. I tried reaching out to his last promoter, Tom Loeffler (K2 Promotions), but I didn’t receive a reply on whether he was retired.

Golovkin was defending against Philadelphia’s Gabe ‘King’ Rosado in January of 2013, whom he stopped in seven rounds at MSG when I contacted one of his sparring partners, Dhafir ‘No Fear’ Smith of Philly, who had been in camp twice with Super Middleweight champ Andre ‘SOG’ Ward. He said he didn’t know who would win between Ward and Golovkin. He stated that Golovkin “hits like a heavyweight!” Also in camp was Philly’s Farah Ennis (brother of current IBF Welter champ ‘Boots’ Ennis), who, in talking with, said, “he’s beating the shit out of me!” I talked briefly with Golovkin.

Golovkin’s final record was 42-2-1 with 37 knockouts, and a sure IBHOF future inductee who also resided in L.A., CA.

Christina Hammer was 24-0 when I met her in Atlantic City prior to her fight with current world champion Claressa ‘T-Rex’ Shields, where he lost her WBC and WBO titles to the IBF and WBA champion Shields.

In covering that fight, American referee Sparkle Lee stepped in between the boxers whenever Hammer went on the offense, helping Shields win a decision. I told Hammer in the dressing room afterward how she was “still a champion” in my eyes.

Hammer, discouraged from getting a rematch, returned to her residence in Germany, not fighting again for ten months, going on to win her next five fights against non-contenders, except in winning the vacant WIBF Super Middleweight title in December of 2020 against Sanna Turunen in Germany, where all other fights were held since losing her title to Shields. In May of 2022, she had her last fight before retiring at age 32.

Golovkin and Hammer were dealt controversial decisions that changed their careers, and now retired and a loss to boxing.