Golovkin must forget about Canelo trilogy

By Boxing News - 09/20/2019 - Comments

By Barry Holbrook: Saul Canelo Alvarez made it clear on Wednesday that Gennady Golovkin will NOT be getting a third fight against him. The three division world champion Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) says he’s no longer motivated to face Golovkin (39-1-1, 35 KOs), and he feels that he’s already proven he’s the better fighter by beating him twice. Although GGG disagrees with Canelo, many boxing fans feel that the Kazakhstan fighter was outsmarted in both fights.

Golovkin has a contest for the IBF middleweight title against Sergiy Derevyanchenko (13-1, 10 KOs) for the vacant IBF middleweight title on October 5 on DAZN at Madison Square Garden in New York. It’s believed that Golovkin is going after the IBF title to use as bait to get Canelo to face him a third time. But now that Canelo has let the boxing media know that he won’t be fighting GGG a third time, it’s pointless for Golovkin to collect belts. What Golovkin needs is the best fights possible, be it against Jermall Charlo, Callum Smith or Billy Joe Saunders.

Canelo makes it clear that he WON’T fight GGG in 2020

When Canelo was told that Oscar De La Hoya had talked recently of him facing GGG next year, he said that Oscar says “many things that don’t make sense.” The message from Canelo is clear. He wants no part of fighting Golovkin again. He’s already been there and done that.

Canelo is fighting WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev (34-3-1 29 KOs) on November 2 on DAZN in Las Vegas, Nevada. It doesn’t matter that Kovalev is viewed as the fourth best champion at 175, and the weakest link by some fans, it’ll still be a big accomplishment if Canelo beats him. The size difference between these two fighters is huge to the point where it looks like an unfair fight at first glance. If this was 2015, the boxing public would think Canelo is crazy in taking the fight with the Krusher.

If Golovkin can’t get the third fight with Canelo in 2020, then he should forget about facing him.

Canelo taking major risks with his career

The Mexican star sees himself as taking more risks currently than Golovkin, who has done precious little since losing to Canelo last September. In the only fight Golovkin has had since then, he stopped Steve Rolls in the 4th round on June 15. Rolls is a fringe contender, and not a well known one.

Golovkin has stepped up the level of his competition in Sergiy Derevyanchenko for his next fight on October 5, but he’s still not comparable to Kovalev or Jacobs. In fact, Derevyanchenko lost to Jacobs just last year in October. GGG is fighting him because he wants the IBF title so that he can try and lure Canelo into fight him again.Thus far, there’s not a lot of buzz about Golovkin’s fight against Derevyanchenko in the boxing world, which means he’s wasting his time with this fight. GGG can’t attract subscribers with DAZN if he’s going to be fighting opposition that the casual and hardcore boxing fans aren’t interested in. Fans want to see Golovkin in fights that he has the potential of losing. Few fans believe Derevyanchenko has any chance of beating GGG.

YouTube video

Saul Alvarez taking on dangerous opposition

Canelo showed courage in facing Rocky Fielding and Daniel Jacobs in his last two fights. However, he didn’t take on the really dangerous super middleweights like Callum Smith or David Benavidez. Fielding was a world champion at 168 at the time that Canelo fought him last December. Kovalev is arguably the equivalent of Fielding at 175. In other words, he’s a vulnerable belt holder, who has been knocked out in the recent past. Fielding had been obliterated by Callum Smith by a 1st round knockout loss in 2015. Nevertheless, Fielding was still a big puncher with excellent size. There was risk involved in that fight for Canelo, and yet he still went ahead went for it.

Canelo says he considers his business with GGG settled and he’s not motivated to fight him a third time. A reporter told Canelo that Oscar De La Hoya said he would fight GGG a third time. Canelo said Oscar says “many things that don’t make any sense”

GGG has options at 160 and 168

Golovkin’s new promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing says he’s interested in matching him against these fighters:

  • Demetrius Andrade
  • Daniel Jacobs
  • Callum Smith
  • Billy Joe Saunders

Unfortunately for Golovkin, all four of those fighters are bigger, and younger than him. Hearn wants Golovkin to face super middleweight. Canelo obviously fought a super middleweight in Rocky Fielding, but he’s not rated as highly as the above mentioned fighters. He didn’t take a serious risk when he moved up to 168. Golovkin would have a difficult time against Callum, Saunders and Jacobs at 168.