Golden Boy Promotions, GGG Promotions and Leigh Simons Productions are proud to present “Countdown to Canelo vs. GGG 2,” a 30-minute special that features never-before-heard details about the dangerous street fighting pasts of Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) and WBC, WBA, and IBO Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) who will fight for the middleweight championship of the world on Saturday, Sept. 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
While making the 30-minute special, producer Leigh Simons discovered that both Canelo and Golovkin had their own respective street fighting pasts that lead them down the path to becoming professional fighters. Both Canelo and Golovkin are sure to channel the aggression from their past along with mounting tension between the two fighters since the last time they met in the ring for their highly anticipated rematch at T-Mobile Arena on Sept. 15, which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at a special time of 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
During the film shoot with Leigh Simons, Canelo revealed his street fighting past began as early as age five, with at least 100 street fights to his credit before he became a professional fighter at age 15.
“Because I was the red haired one, I was different in school. I had to show everyone that saying things to me or picking on me would not be easy. That they would have to go through the beating I was going to give them. I never bowed my head to anyone, even if they were bigger,” said Canelo Alvarez.
“Since childhood he has shown character, and that’s what has made him succeed, his character,” said Jose ‘Chepo’ Reynoso, co-trainer of Canelo Alvarez.
“I told Canelo, ‘Don’t leave it in the judges hands this time. Go out there and win the fight and knock him out’ and I believe that he is going to knock GGG out this time,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions.
Simons found a similar response and nature when interviewing Golovkin separately for the “Countdown” special.
“It was really survival of the fittest in that area where he [Golovkin] grew up,” said Tom Loeffler, Promoter of Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. “One name for him could be the ‘Smiling Assassin’ because he’s confident. He’s experienced.”
“He grew up on the streets; he grew up in probably the roughest part of Kazahkstan, in Karaganda. It’s where all the rough people and gangsters were. He grew up beating people up because someone always wanted to take your shoes or jacket from you so he learned to defend himself,” said Abel Sanchez, trainer to Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.
In behind the scenes footage captured during the “Countdown to Canelo vs. GGG 2” commercial shoot, Golovin described one instance of street fighting back in his hometown in Kazahkstan for producer Leigh Simons with, “I can’t talk like this. It’s not legal,” refusing to go into detail alluding to the brutality of the fight.
The 30-minute special is now airing on various digital platforms, including the HBO Boxing YouTube and Golden Boy Boxing YouTube channels and includes interviews with celebrity boxing fans including actress Rosie Perez, Superbowl Champion and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Omar Benson Miller, one of the stars of the HBO series “Ballers.”