By Sean Jones: Gennadiy Golovkin believes he did enough in the last fight with Canelo Alvarez to deserve the victory. Golovkin sees himself as 2-0 against Canelo going into their third fight, which could be the next in September.
Their first fight in 2017 was scored a controversial 12 round draw, but most boxing fans had GGG winning. In their second fight in 2018, Canelo won a questionable 12 round decision. Fans saw that fight as either a draw or a win for Canelo. Although the Golden Boy star Canelo fought better than in the first fight, he still gassed out after five rounds and outboxed by GGG down the stretch.
Canelo and Golovkin (40-1-1, 36 KOs) could be fighting a trilogy in September if boxing is allowed to continue. It won’t be up to them whether they compete or not. It’ll be up to the state governors and the boxing commission.
Golovkin doesn’t want to fight Canelo in Vegas
Although Golovkin makes it clear that he doesn’t want to fight Canelo again in Las Vegas, he may not have any choice in the matter. That’s where Canelo fights when he faces risky opponents. When he’s got a gimme like Rocky Fielding or Liam Smith, then he fights in New York and Texas. If Golovkin insists on fighting Canelo outside of Las Vegas, he’ll likely not get the fight.
It would be great if Canelo were willing to fight Golovkin in another state like New York or Texas, but he seems to be only interested in competing in Vegas. It wouldn’t be a big deal if Canelo weren’t involved in so many controversial fights in that city.
If you look at things, Canelo’s record arguably should be 51-3-3 due to his two controversial fights with GGG and his highly questionable win over Erislandy Lara.
Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) is still supposed to be fighting Billy Joe Saunders next, but that contest becomes less likely to happen with each passing day. The pandemic will very likely leave the Canelo-Saunders fight as a casualty with it eventually being canceled altogether.
Canelo can’t invest massive amounts of time for a fight that only he and a tiny fraction of the boxing world cares about. Choosing Saunders as an opponent was more about Canelo padding his resume by beating a flawed champion with virtually no chance of beating him.
GGG feels like the champion
“First of all, congratulations to Canelo. He’s going home like a champion,” said Gennadiy to ESPN after his loss to the Mexican star in 2018. “I feel it’s good because my inside, I feel like a champion. No big surprise. I’m ready because when he goes back, he’s losing everything.
“I’m in control. I don’t lose anything. I feel in control whole rounds, every round, and the last rounds [of the fight], I feel like I win. The judges not give me points. That’s not my problem. I take my job [seriously]. Absolutely,” said Golovkin when asked if he wants to fight Canelo again. “If he’s interested, I’m ready.
“We had a great fight at the highest level and the biggest chance this fight for boxing,” said GGG when asked what he would change in a third fight with Canelo. A little bit, for speed, for strategy. Maybe change next time, not Vegas, in a different city.
“Yes, absolutely. He has a Mexican style, and I have a Mexican style. We had a great fight today,” said Golovkin when asked if Canelo fought with the Mexican style.
In reviewing the 12th, this writer couldn’t give it to Canelo because he gassed out, turned red in the face after the first minute, and then retreated to the ropes.
Immediately after losing to Canelo by a questionable 12 round majority decision in September 2018, Golovkin said he felt he was still the champion, and said he was in control the entire fight.
Sanchez: The 12th round lost Golovkin the fight
“I think we had fair judges, and I think you have to take your lumps when they see them go the other way,” said Golovkin’s old trainer Abel Sanchez on his loss to Canelo. “I think it would be foolish for me to start criticizing. It was a great fight for the fans. I think the fans won. We didn’t get it this time, but hopefully, we do it again.
“That’s exactly what I expected,” said Abel when asked if he was surprised that Canelo pressured Golovkin by coming forward. “I thought he [Canelo] was mad enough and was going to show everybody, and show his fans he could do that. I’m very happy for him. I thought he fought a great fight. If the judges thought he won, then he won.
“I thought he [Golovkin] believed in the last couple of rounds that he was ahead, so he didn’t do enough. I kept imploring him in the 10th, 11th, and 12th that I needed those rounds, and the 12th round was a pivotal round that lost us the fight. And I think if one judges give it to Gennadiy, then it’s a draw. What a great fight.”
Interestingly, Golovkin’s old trainer Sanchez was willing to concede the 12th round to Canelo because a lot of boxing fans felt that GGG won that round. Canelo started fast in the 12th, but then he gassed and spent the last half of the round in his customary position against the ropes imitating Floyd Mayweather with his head movement.
It was Golovkin who finished the 12th round strong. It’s unclear whether the judges already scored the 12th after the first minute of action when Canelo was doing well.
Third Canelo vs. Golovkin fight will show fans whos’s the best
“I think they both landed some great shots. Canelo landed some very good body shots, but they were both solid, they were both complete, and were both trying to win. Who knows if it affected him, but in the 11th and 12th round, they proved to us that they were in good condition and could take what they were dishing out.
“That’s what creates the greatness of a rivalry between two fighters that are so evenly matched and are one or two points apart,” said Sanchez on the Golovkin vs. Canelo rivalry. “I think the fans will want to see a third one. Now the fans think it’s 1-1 due to the controversy of the first time.
“There could be a rubber match, and the fans could see who the better one is. They’re both great, and the fans got their money’s worth,” said Sanchez on the Golovkin vs. Canelo rivalry.
Many fans have already made up their mind after the first two fights that Golovkin is the better fighter than Canelo. A third fight will give Canelo the chance to make 1-2 in Golovkin’s favor, but it’s not going to win him the rivalry. Hopefully, the judges get their act together and score it the way the fight plays out rather than in giving it to the guy that appeared to lose.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-xbbaPtJsw