By Sean Jones: Canelo Alvarez says the Gennadiy Golovkin trilogy fight on September 17th is “personal” for him due to what he’s said about him in the past.
After two fights with Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs), Canelo says he wants to close the chapter on their rivalry this year once and for all.
Unfortunately, a slew of boxing fans believes Canelo lost both of them and then intentionally waited until Golovkin got old and turned 40 before finally agreeing to face him a third time.
Sadly, there’s not much Canelo can say to change the fans’ minds, as they had plenty of time to face GGG since their last contest in 2018.
People want to know WHY, with all the money and the massive demand from DAZN and fans for a third Golovkin clash, why didn’t Canelo face him in the last four years?
For example, why did Canelo choose to take lower-paying fights against Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant, then fight Golovkin for more money in a match that boxing fans & DAZN wanted?
It’s difficult not to see it as avoidance on Canelo’s part in choosing NOT to fight Golovkin since 2018. Instead, taking lesser fights against weak 168-lb champions like Plant, Saunders, Rocky Fielding, and Callum Smith.
The average fan doesn’t understand why Canelo would take lower-paying fights against fighters rather than going after a far bigger money fight against Golovkin in the last four years.
Fans don’t understand why Canelo would prefer to fight lesser guys like Avni Yildirim, Jacobs, Saunders, Callum, Rocky Fielding, and Sergey Kovalev over a fight that would have made him more money against Golovkin.
Has Canelo been actively ducking Golovkin in the last four years, waiting for him to get old? I don’t know, but it does seem odd, doesn’t it?
Canelo says Golovkin fight is “personal”
“We have this deal, and they want this fight with Golovkin, so I say, ‘Why not? Everybody wants that fight, right?'” said Canelo Alvarez to the media when asked why he’s chosen to finally face Golovkin after four years since their previous match in 2018.
“Maybe it’s a little late [for the Golovkin trilogy], maybe not. Everybody still wants the fight, so why not,” Canelo continued. “Yeah,” said Canelo when asked if it’s ‘still personal’ for him with GGG.
“He talks a lot of s***, he talks a lot of things, but we’re going to see,” said Canelo on why he wants to fight Golovkin a third time. “First things first, right? We need to win on May 7th,” said Canelo.
The things that Golovkin has said that have gotten Canelo rattled are pretty much the same things that fans have talked about for the last four years.
Golovkin believes that he deserved to win both fights with Canelo, which is understandable because he did appear to win both.
Also, Golovkin wasn’t pleased with learning about Canelo testing positive for the banned performance-enhancing substance clenbuterol in the past.
If the shoe was on the other foot and GGG tested positive for clenbuterol, Canelo likely wouldn’t be overjoyed at learning about that, would he?
What would Canelo say if Golovkin blamed dispositive test for clenbuterol on eating tainted beef? Would Canelo believe that or say he’s trying to explain away the positive test by coming up with an excuse?
If Golovkin has said things that have upset Canelo, does he not have a reason? Canelo would probably be angry if he fought Golovkin twice, seemingly beating him both times and failing to get the victory. Should Golovkin NOT be mad about that?
Did Canelo want Golovkin just to shut up and take it without speaking his mind?
“I’m focused 100% on this fight,” Alvarez said of his title shot against WBA 175lb champion Dmitry Bivol. “It’s not an easy fight, it’s a hard fight for me, but I’m 100% in this fight, and we’re talking about that fight [with Golovkin].
“I hope so,” said Canelo when asked if he thinks Golovkin will win his next fight against WBA middleweight champion Ryota Murata on April 9th.
Does Canelo want Golovkin to beat WBA 160-lb champion Murata (16-2, 13 KOs), or is he hoping that he loses, so he doesn’t need to fight him on September 17th?
Bivol’s WBA title will be on the line
“It’s going to be for the title,” said Canelo when asked if his match against Bivol will be for his WBA light heavyweight title on May 7th. “I don’t know what’s going to happen or what happened. I’m just going to prepare myself for the title, and that’s it,” said Canelo when asked if the World Boxing Association will sanction the fight with Bivol.
“Don’t ask me about political things. I don’t know anything about it, and I don’t. I just want to prepare myself, and we’ll see,” said Canelo on whether the WBA will sanction his match against 175lb champion Bivol.
“Not really, but I like to be in the ring,” Canelo said when asked if he’s a better fighter when he’s busier. “I’m in my prime, and I feel more confident in everything and more strong.
“I don’t know if it’s because I’m more active or not, but I feel I’m in my prime right now.
“That’s a good idea for us, but I really want to be undisputed at 175,” said Canelo when asked if his goal is to become the undisputed champion at light heavyweight.
Thus far, the World Boxing Association hasn’t said whether they would sanction the Canelo vs. Bivol fight for their 175-lb title. Unless the WBA makes a statement saying it won’t be up for grabs for their battle, it should be available.
It’s too bad Canelo didn’t take the more dangerous fight against IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (17-0, 17 KOs) on May 7th rather than the arguably easier one against Bivol.
With Beterbiev having turned 37, if Canelo doesn’t fight him soon, boxing fans are going to believe that he’s intentionally waiting until he gets old before taking that match.
Canelo is expected to fight Jermall Charlo and David Benavidez in 2023, which means he won’t get around to fighting Beterbiev until 2024 at the earliest.
By that time, Beterbiev will be 39-years-old and probably shot to pieces, ready to be beaten by Canelo just like the equally old Golovkin is now. If Canelo is intentionally waiting for Beterbiev to get old before fighting him, that’s pathetic.
Canelo still wants Makabu at cruiserweight
“So serious,” Canelo said when asked how serious he was recently about wanting to move up to cruiserweight to challenge WBC champion Ilunga Makabu for a chance to win his fifth division world title.
Why on earth would Canelo still be interested in fighting WBC cruiserweight champion Makabu?
After the considerable backlash Canelo and his manager, Eddy Reynoso, received from the boxing world when they first floated the idea of fighting the 34-year-old Makabu, why would he still be interested in that particular opponent?
Instead of fighting Makabu, Canelo and Reynoso should be targeting IBF cruiserweight Mairis Briedis or WBO champion Lawrence Okolie. Fans would applaud Canelo if he fought one of those two champions, considering they’re highly rated.
“We can wait for that, but for me, this fight [Bivol] makes more sense right now. But in the future, we’ll do that for sure,” said Canelo in making it clear that he will be moving up to cruiserweight to challenge Makabu for his WBC title.
“They made it clear in the statement they issued yesterday, so we’ll follow the guidelines from them,” said promoter Eddie Hearn when asked if the WBA will sanction the Canelo vs. Bivol fight for their light heavyweight title.
“It’s not that we avoid the questions, but we’re here to talk about the fight on May the 7th, and they’ve issued guidelines, and we’ll follow them,” continued Hearn in making it clear that he wants to focus more on the Canelo-Bivol fight rather than on whether the WBA will sanction it as a title match.
