Golovkin to return June 8 at Madison Square Garden

Published Apr. 16, 2019 11:08 p.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) — Gennady Golovkin will fight for the first time since losing to Canelo Alvarez when he meets Canadian Steve Rolls on June 8 at Madison Square Garden.

Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) has been out of action since Alvarez edged him in their rematch last September in Las Vegas. The longtime middleweight champion eventually followed Alvarez in signing with sports streaming service DAZN, setting up the possibility of a third bout between them.

First, Golovkin will have to get by Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs) in a fight that was announced Tuesday. The 12-round bout will be held at a maximum of 164 pounds, above the middleweight limit of 160 where Golovkin made a record 20 consecutive title defenses.

It will be the Kazakhstani fighter's sixth time headlining at Madison Square Garden, which a week earlier is scheduled to host heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua's defense against Jarrell Miller. Both cards will be streamed on DAZN.

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