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Gennady Golovkin retains WBA middleweight title

By WTOP Staff

LARRY FLEISHER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Gennady Golovkin was a hit in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden.

If Golovkin has his way, he will get another attempt at fighting in the big arena against another Madison Square Garden regular — Miguel Cotto.

Golovkin easily retained his WBA middleweight championship Saturday night, stopping Daniel Geale at 2:47 of the third round in front of 8,572 fans.

“It’s the biggest name that will get in the ring with him,” said Tom Loeffler of K2 promotions. “That’s our target. Miguel had a victory. He and Gennady Golovkin would be the biggest fight in the Garden and it’s a unification fight.”

“I want to fight him next and prove to the world without a doubt that I’m the best middleweight in the world,” Golovkin said about Cotto, who has fought nine times at Madison Square Garden “That is very important to me.”

Seven weeks after Cotto stopped Sergio Martinez in the 10th round for the WBC middleweight title, Golovkin was even more impressive.

Golovkin improved to 30-0 with his 17th straight knockout and 27th overall, giving him a knockout rate of 90 percent — the highest in middleweight history.

The end came with a series of shots in the corner late in the third. After taking a shot from Geale, Golovkin struck with a right hand to the nose and followed with a left hand. That sent Geale to the canvas and referee Michael Ortega stopped the fight.

“It was a big step fighting in the arena and I’m happy to be performing for the fans,” Golovkin said. “I was patient in the first round and part of the second. This is my style but once I figured him out, I was able to attack aggressively. I knew it was a matter of time.

“It was difficult to time Geale because he was coming in and out,” trainer Abel Sanchez said. “Gennady hit him with a perfect left-right (combination) and the fight was over.”

By the time Golovkin finished off his 11th title defense, Geale had already been bloodied in the right eye. That came about midway through the second round.

“I don’t think there’s anyone at 160 who can go 12 rounds with Gennady,” said Geale’s trainer, Gary Shaw. “I think that knockout streak will go on for a long time.

Golovkin also nearly won the fight early in the second round. Less than 30 seconds into the round, Golovkin used a combination along the ropes that caused Geale to fall down. That came after Beale slipped with 18 seconds remaining in the opening round and that round inadvertently went four minutes.

Geale (30-3), a former unified middleweight titleholder lost for the second time in three fights. He also lost to England’s Darren Barker last August in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

“Golovkin’s really quick and I think I fell into a couple of his traps,” Geale said. “I was disappointed in myself. Things were going right early on. I guess that’s what happens when you relax a little bit. I got caught.”

In the co-featured bout, Bryant Jennings (19-0) won a controversial split decision over Mike Perez (20-1-1) in a WBC eliminator heavyweight fight. Jennings became the mandatory challenger for the WBC heavyweight championship vacated by longtime champion Vitali Klitschko in December and his next fight will be either Bermane Stiverne or Deontay Wilder.

“He wouldn’t trade with me,” Jennings said. “I wanted him to stand in there with me and fight. I was expecting the inside pressure and it didn’t happen.”

Judges Glenn Feldman and Joe Pasquale had Jennings winning by scores of 114-113 and 115-112, respectively. Tom Schreck had Perez winning by a 114-113 margin.

Perez wound losing a point with about a minute and a half remaining in the 12th after withstanding an early flurry by Jennings. He punched Jennings over the break in the ropes and referee Harvey Dock deducted a point

“Mike was terrific,” trainer Adam Booth said. “He won this fight clearly by three rounds. The referee took it away from him.”

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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