Gennady Golovkin vs. Marco Antonio Rubio: Winner, Recap and Analysis

Well, that didn't take long. On Saturday night, Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (31-0, 28 KO) made quick work of a less-than competitive Marco Antonio Rubio (59-7-1). With a powerful combination, Golovkin stopped Rubio in the second round.

It was the 18th-straight KO win for Golovkin.

In the first round, Rubio looked as if he would offer a spirited effort. He responded to a hard shot with his own combination.

The second round was a different story. When Golovkin landed a heavy uppercut and followed it up with a fight hand on top of the head, Rubio hit the deck and didn't rise to his feet to beat the count.

It was slightly debatable whether Rubio beat the count, but it didn't look as if he was particularly keen on continuing the bout.

The fact that he missed weight and refused to try and get under the 160-pound limit only made things look worse. As Jim Lampley of HBO said during the bout, the result was "academic."

Rubio's lack of fighting spirit should take nothing away from Golovkin's performance. He came out and destroyed his opponent in the same workmanlike fashion that he has throughout his career.

When the bout was over, Golovkin mentioned a who's who of the middleweight division as potential next opponents. Coming into the bout, Rubio was the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Miguel Cotto. Thus it only makes sense that Golovkin would face the Puerto Rican legend who has looked invigorated since hiring Freddie Roach as his trainer.

Per the HBO broadcast, GGG also mentioned Julio Ceasar Chavez Jr. and Canelo Alvarez. A bout with any of those three would be huge for the sport. Cotto is a rugged and experienced slugger who is headed for the Hall of Fame.

Chavez Jr. is big, strong and his chin is made of granite. If Golovkin could stop him, it would elevate his reputation as a power puncher even higher than it already is. 

A fight with Canelo might be the toughest stylistically, but Golovkin would likely have the size advantage over him. The greatest thing about Golovkin's current run is that most in the sport are excited to see what's next for the young champion. 

When that kind of buzz is surrounding a fighter, you know there's a real star on the scene.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.