By Dan Ambrose: Hall of Fame boxer Julian Jackson believes Gennadiy Golovkin has a good chance of beating Canelo Alvarez on September 17th in their trilogy fight in Las Vegas.
Jackson feels that Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) possesses the power and the heart to beat Canelo in their third match-up on DAZN PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Jackson’s son, Julius, feels that Golovkin, 40, must start fast against Canelo to have a chance of winning because he notes that he started slowly in his last contest against Ryota Murata in April.
Falling behind immediately would put Golovkin behind the eight ball, needing to either score a knockout or sweep the final six rounds to salvage a draw or a narrow win.
Given the way that the judges have scored the first two Canelo-Golovkin fights in Las Vegas, winning a decision might not be possible for Golovkin.
“There’s a possibility. There’s a tremendous possibility because of his power, because of his heart and dedication,” said Julian Jackson to Fighthype when asked if Gennadiy Golovkin could defeat Canelo Alvarez. “I think it’s going to be a good fight,” said Jackson.
“Just from what I see, especially in his last fight, I just don’t think he is the same,” said Julius Jackson about Gennadiy Golovkin not looking like the same fighter he once was.
“I really like how he came on later in his last fight [against Ryota Murata],” Jackson continued about Golovkin. “He looked more like himself. He was flowing more as himself, but he can’t start slow like that against Canelo.
“His reaction time and his body language has been different. But I’m looking forward to seeing it. The mind can do powerful things. If he’s in the right mindset, just like the first two fights, it could still be a good competitive close fight.
“But he can’t start slow. He can’t be lethargic with his timing. His timing was a little off in that last fight. As long as he’s in the right mindset, I think he’ll do okay. He’s my boy, so I’m rooting for him.
“His output and his timing is slower. He’s not picking the right shots like he usually is. Sometimes he doesn’t throw it fast, but he throws the right punches. You don’t see it the same; it’s not the same. That worries me for the fight.
“He’s [Golovkin] going to have to be aggressive in the first two rounds, at least power-wise. That’s going to get Canelo thinking. So he’s going to have to land some really good shots early, so Canelo doesn’t come off confident.
“If Canelo gets confident, it’s over. He’s got to start hard, land some good shots, and then taper back more like in the third and fourth round. The jab has been working for him. But for Canelo, he’s going to have to land something hard for him to say, ‘Let me stay smart,'” said Jackson.
