It has been questioned whether Canelo Alvarez will be all that motivated to take on bitter rival Gennadiy Golovkin in Saturday’s pay-per-view trilogy fight in Las Vegas, four years after their all-action rematch and the second of two highly disputed decisions in their rivalry.
It has seemed as though Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) saw little reason to reward Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) for years of steroid allegations with a financially rewarding third fight since the Mexican superstar defeated GGG by majority decision in 2018, a year after their highly contentious draw in their first fight. This is despite pressure from DAZN, which gave both fighters lucrative contracts.
In his defense, the 32-year-old Alvarez would fight just once in the eight fights after his last encounter with GGG in the middleweight class, where Golovkin still holds two titles. Alvarez became the first boxer to unify all four super middleweight championships, which he will defend against Golovkin in the opening bout of their rivalry at 168 pounds. He also added a 175-pound title to his future Hall of Fame resume.
Alvarez, though, is bearing the weight of having lost just four months ago to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in a close but decisive decision, and it appears that old scars still run deep for him.
Alvarez sounded as driven as ever to end the anticipated final chapter of the most significant rivalry in his career with the first of three fights that wouldn’t be clouded in doubt and controversy when speaking with SUPERTIPZ The source of his motivation may be personal or professional, and speaking with the network on Wednesday, the answer seems to be both.
Alvarez answered, “Look, business is always there for me. “Therefore, despite what he has said, it is personal to me. He previously spoke to me, therefore it is personal to me, but I will use that as motivation to complete my task.”
Golovkin refused to succumb to the pressure last week when “Morning Kombat” asked him if the long-standing conflict between them still motivates him.
Golovkin remarked, “I just stepped over it. I claim that I understood what was happening and that I took it very well. I was unaffected by it. I understood that that was just a part of the sport and just the business. Therefore, don’t focus too much on this.
Does that imply that GGG is prepared to put the past behind her, regardless of what happens on Saturday? No, not always.
Golovkin remarked, “That’s a really fascinating subject. “I’ll tell you the truth. I’m a sociable individual who is open to relationships. We resemble brothers in arms in certain ways. We work in the same industry, which is quite risky. I am thus honest.
“On the other hand, looking at his behavior, at his way of thinking, at his logic, how he is high in the clouds and the words he is honoring, all that is unacceptable. That’s just an improper way to behave.” “On the other hand, people learn from their mistakes and draw conclusions. But looking at him, I don’t think he is able to do that now.”
In addition to Alvarez being the sport’s pound-for-pound champion, the main difference between the previous two fights and this weekend’s trilogy is GGG’s alleged deterioration at age 40.
Since the second Alvarez bout, Golovkin hasn’t dropped a decision, and five months have passed since he stopped Ryota Murata to unify the 160-pound belt. However, what he has done has evidently slowed, requiring him to bear more punishment than usual in order to achieve success.
Alvarez has been set as a solid betting favorite to defeat the almost 4-1 underdog Golovkin due to the break in matches. However, in this instance, both men would benefit from taking their revenge cold. Alvarez isn’t discounting the possibility of experiencing the joy of becoming the first boxer to knock out Golovkin, despite the fact that neither fighter has been knocked down or finished as a professional.
“Obviously, [GGG] is one of the best opponents I have ever played. He is among the best, according to Alvarez. He is one of the best fighters I have ever fought, thus I believe he belongs among the top five.
“Look, I want to knock him out in this fight. That is my intention, but given that boxing is involved, anything can happen. I’ve prepared myself for 12 rounds, but if there is a chance to stop the fight before that, I’ll take it.
A knockout would be Alvarez’s last opportunity to dispel any remaining doubt given how frequently boxing experts still disagree on the results of both of their fights today.
