By Jim Dower: In watching last Saturday night’s clash between challenger Willie Monroe Jr. (19-2, 6 KOs) and IBO/WBA middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (33-0, 30 KOs), the 28-year-old Monroe looked like he was intentionally trying to get counted out in the 6th round after he was knocked down by a series of hard head shots from Golovkin. By getting up just as the referee was counting to 10, it appeared that Monroe was trying to muddy the water by putting it on the referee to count him out in a controversial fashion rather than him quitting or getting counted out on the canvas.
Instead of getting up immediately from the knockdown, Monroe waited until the count of 9 before rising to his feet. The referee Jack Reiss counted to ten just as Monroe made it to his feet.