By Miguel Maravilla
Kazakhstan’s two-time middleweight world champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KO’s) finally gets his shot to settle the score with his rival undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KO’s). Golovkin squares off against Canelo Saturday September 17 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas live on DAZN.
“It’s my first fight at 168 we will do everything we can to win this fight. I know Canelo at 160, now we are going to try at 168,” Golovkin said. “From an emotional standpoint after two fights it’s just another fight. I’m completely relaxed about it.”
Having faced each other two times for a total of 24 rounds, as the first fight in September of 2017 saw the two fighters go the distance in fighting to a draw, the rematch came one year later September 2018 with Canelo pulling a close split decision in another close fight.
“I don’t think anything changed. Everyone had an opinion, judges, and journalists. The worst of decisions, it’s water under the bridge,” Golovkin on the 2 fights with Canelo. “During the fight you learn something about your opponent. We learned something against the opponent. When the fight is over, you hug but if your opponent says it’s personal maybe there is something,”
Apparently, tensions have intensified in the rivalry with GGG and Canelo as Golovkin expressed his concern.
“If it’s personal to him or his team. I don’t know but, in my opinion, there is nothing personal,” Golovkin said.
It’s no secret but Golovkin has anxiously been awaiting the third fight with Canelo. With Canelo pursuing other options and achieving his goals to become undisputed it appeared that time was running out for Golovkin. At the age of 40, Golovkin feels that age is not a factor as he looks forward to the third fight with Canelo.
“I was not 100 percent sure if we would fight again. There were developments in court he was trying to postpone there was hope. It was reasonable for him to take the fight,” Golovkin said. “I don’t want you to get this impression that I’m in boxing because of my opponent,”
It has been a quiet and different campaign for Golovkin since his last and only defeat to Canelo. Making a change of trainers from Abel Sanchez to Jonathan Banks.
“I feel great with Jonathan and our training process. I think my fans will continue to support me. I think there is a group of people the supported me because of Abel but it doesn’t matter who the trainer is people are going to be fans of fighter regardless,”
“Any fighter or any person you assess them as an individual. I don’t go off the norm, I look at a sense of what I have in front of me. I know who he is and how old he is. His work rate is as if he was 19 years old,” Gennady Golovkin trainer Jonathan Banks said. “He is one of the guys that has a high work rate, 100 percent,”
The duo has piled up four wins together, a knockout over Steve Rolls in their first fight, hard fought tough decision over Sergey Derevyanchenko in picking up the vacant IBF middleweight title, scoring a knockout over Kamil Szremeta.
“A lot has changed since the last fight, the pandemic. I’m talking about life; boxing stayed the same. I believe I have matured and became wiser. The fact that I spent 2020 with my family was good,” Golovkin said.
Golovkin is coming off an exciting knockout win over Japan’s Ryota Murata, as the Big Drama Show hit Japan.
“My approach was based that it was a 12-round bout. I started checking out and feeling out my opponent. I knew I just had to figure him out,” Golovkin on his last fight
“I thought he had a great performance. We’re getting more efficient for things he does best. The development is like anything to the point you first start something you start with a seed. The more you water and nurture it is supposed to grow and that’s the case here. He can grow to be more efficient,” Jonathan Banks said.
Canelo is coming off a decision defeat to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in his attempt at the light heavyweight title. Despite the loss, Alvarez still holds the undisputed titles at super middleweight as he campaigned at 168 and conquered, following his win over Golovkin.
“I know a lot of people don’t believe me, but I didn’t watch the fight live, Bivol was Bivol and Canelo was Canelo. No surprise” Golovkin on Canelo’s defeat to Bivol. “I watched some highlights,” Golovkin added.
“I thought it was a good fight. I said if Bivol came out jabbing it would be difficult for him to win,” Banks on Canelo’s defeat.
Golovkin feels that despite the loss, he knows what Canelo Alvarez he’s getting come fight night.
“A loss can only make you stronger. I think it’s good for Canelo because he will be much stronger and more motivated,” Golovkin said about Canelo. “I don’t think it’s a proper way to put it to try to get a knockout. My strategy stays the same I have to box,”
“This will be a fight of adjustments. I think this fight will be the fight of adjustments. Who will make the adjustments? They know each other,” Jonathan Banks said.
Follow Miguel on Twitter @MigMaravilla.
Or, is this just a nearly 41 year old GGG daring to try to be great by moving up a weight class to fight the much bigger and much younger Canelo? 🙂
Or a nice pay day
He’s not trying to be great. He’s trying to get a payday before he retires. Being great would have been moving up to 168 and fighting Andre Ward. Prime vs Prime
I like Golovkin. He seems to come from a better place. He’s respectful, humble, dedicated. It’s not personal with him. He carries himself like a champion, a man of character, substance, and integrity. I hope he finds a way to beat Canelo. He did so in the first fight, and was robbed. He earned no worse than a draw in the second fight and they gave it to Canelo. This could be the fight in which Canelo gets knocked out, since Canelo is showing signs of slipping. He’ll be 32 next month, and for the first time in his career, conditioning and endurance has been a problem
Well said
triple g all the way he should catch up with canelo in the later rounds at 40 years he is still the better fighter
Fundamentally speaking triple G is better fighter than Canelo, I think triple G will hurt Canelo because Canelo will be over aggressive to KO him, My head says Canelo will get close decision because of youth and strength. I anticipate exciting fight.
GGG needs to go to Canelo’s body much more than he did in the first 2 fights. Canelo’s defense and head movement is so good, and he has one of the best chins I have ever seen. I’m talking throw 40% to 50% body shots. GGG loses another decision if he doesn’t come with a merciless body attack. If he does, he stops Canelo.
I think triple G hurts Canelo, triple G will go more to body but loses close decision due to youth and strength. Will be most exciting fight of trilogy.
Golovkin is much slower than before he cant maneuver as much. I think canelo knocks him out cold!!
I agree. I think Canelo folds him with body shots. If Canelo can deliver thunderous body shots from the start, it shld be a KO around the 8 round mark. What does amaze me is all thr crap GGG was talking before. Now a change if tune? Interesting. Maybe hes not so confident.
Go GGG!!!
Canelo is not the bigger fighter as he started his pro career at Welterweight and GGG started at Middleweight. Also, GGG fought a couple of hundred amateur fights at 165 pounds which is technically Supermiddleweight in the pro ranks. Have you all seen pictures of GGG standing next to Canelo? He is the bigger fighter, so let’s stop with that nonsense that Canelo is the bigger fighter. True, GGG is older, but still formidable enough to give Canelo a decent fight. However, I see a decision victory for Canelo here.
I don’t see much difference between the first few fights and now. GGG is older and maybe a little slower but also smarter. I think the 168 lb limit will benefit him.
Canelo is agreat fighter.
It’s going to be another close competitive fight.
You are aware that GGG as an amateur was a junior welterweight at the same age Canelo was a welterweight as a pro? Canelo started his pro career at 15. He naturally grew. GGG naturally grew as an amateur. Canelo is the bigger fighter
GGG is taller, but Canelo is much thicker with a far heavier torso and legs. Canelo is at this point in their career the naturally bigger man.
Size not a factor cause its so close. But age is very few fighters are Bernard Hopkins and could sustain father time. Lots of respect for both fighters and B.H. ad well.
Win or lose ggg always give a big drama show !
This should be a good one as long as the judges dont have their scorecards already filled out before the fight begins. GGG’s team needs to take a strong look at who the judges are because Canelo comes into the fight up 3 rds to 0 before the fight even starts.
I would be shocked if GGG wins
Too old and too small
Only advantage is canelo is coming off a tough fight
Only prayer is that Ggg somehow can catch him with s big punch and can carry his ounch to bigger weight
That’s your first problem and mistake you need to take this fight personally. Taking it as business only you will lose. It’s telling the world you no longer have the hunger to be the champion of the world.
In Boxing, you have to be objective, not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. GOLOVKIN is 40 years old. He is way out of his prime. On the other hand, CANELO will still be in his prime come fight night.
Banks is the problem for me here. He took over training Wlad when Manny passed and he passed on his defensive tendencies and low work rate to Wlad. Afraid he has done the same to GGG. They are both great fighters, but Canelo has taken the greater risks and has the faster hands. Don’t see a KO, just another close fight or stoppage on cuts. Canelo will always get the decision in a close fight. GGG easily won the first fight and it was called a draw, don’t see any way for him to get a decision.
canelo beat this guy twice why this guy wants more punishment?
The man is 41-yrs-old. This is nothing but a payday and redemption with a guy he beat easily in the 1st fight. This is also a must win for Canelo, and should he lose it’s over for him as well. This fight ends in controversy with Canelo hands being raised in the end.
Nothing will change in this bout except on how much GGG can take before he either quits or is TKOd. I am NOT a Canelo fan at all. I do not like him as a person, but the age and ability are on his side.
I think GGG breaks down Canelo the way he broke down David Lemieux with Jab after jab and shots to the body and head, we’ve all seen Canelo gas out against fighters who Jab him like Bivol and GGG is no different, late stoppage by GGG.