WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade has lashed out in the wake of last night's return by former unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, who knocked out Steve Rolls in a devastating fourth-round victory.

Golovkin was fighting for the first time since losing his belts to Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez in September's rematch last year.

And Golovkin provided a reminder of his power after a ninth-month layoff to knock out the previously undefeated Rolls at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

Golovkin (39-1-1) took a little while to get going in New York, but he opened up a massive combination in the fourth round, ending with a vicious straight left that sent Rolls to the floor and stopped the contest.

Rolls (19-1-0) appeared nervous in the early going, however the Canadian settled during the second round to put together a couple of good combinations. He did the same thing in the third, but the fourth was all Golovkin.

Kazakh star Golovkin started landing consistently with his patented short punches and eventually put together the combination downing Rolls for good.

Alvarez said he believes his story with Golovkin is over after making light work of Daniel Jacobs in May, but the Mexican also acknowledged he was willing to face off with him again - if GGG won a world title.

According to Andrade, he was willing to give Golovkin the opportunity to win a belt and face him last night, and DAZN pushed for the contest to take place.

However, Andrade claims that Golovkin and promoter Tom Loeffler rejected the fight.

He doesn't blame Canelo, and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, for telling GGG to win a belt first.

"DAZN tried to make the fight between GGG and I as soon as he signed [with DAZN]. Tom Loeffler and GGG said - 'Absolutely not! We aren’t fighting Andrade in our first DAZN fight.' Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo know that, which is why they are telling GGG to get a belt," Andrade stated.

"I wouldn't be fighting Sulecki and GGG wouldn’t have fought Steve Rolls - if GGG would have accepted a fight with me. GGG is #1 in the World Boxing Organization, he was given the opportunity to fight me and said 'no way.' Truth!"