Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez II: Breaking down the historic rematch
USA TODAY Sports’ Martin Rogers previews the historic rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 15 in Las Vegas.
USA TODAY
SAN DIEGO — The question was innocuous, the response shocking.
Believe him or not, Canelo Alvarez said he would not be interested in fighting unbeaten former super-middleweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. And he won’t be swayed even if Ramirez defeats unbeaten World Boxing Association light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol — who previously took down Alvarez — in November.
“If it’s Zurdo, I don’t want to fight with Mexicans … I represent Mexico,” Alvarez told USA TODAY Sports at his media day in San Diego. “I think Zurdo has a chance to win (against Bivol), and I want him to win.”
Boxing’s former pound-for-pound king, Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs), spent his formative years fighting a slew of his countrymen while building his career as an immensely popular television fighter in Mexico. The four-division champion most recently entered the ring against a Mexican in 2017, routing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision.
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Since then, he’s fought Eastern Europeans, including long-reigning middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin. The Canelo-Golovkin trilogy takes place Sept. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be Alvarez’s 11th consecutive bout against a non-Mexican foe.
Other foes included: Americans Caleb Plant and Daniel Jacobs; Englishmen Rocky Fielding, Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders; Turkey’s Avni Yildirim; and Russia’s Bivol and Sergey Kovalev.
‘Two Mexicans in the ring guarantees a war’
USA TODAY Sports asked Ramirez (44-0, 30 KOs) about Alvarez’s stance while he promoted his Nov. 5 fight in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
He flashed a grin.
“As a fighter, I want to fight with the best — anyone,” Ramirez said. “Two Mexicans in the ring guarantees a war.
“I don’t know why he wouldn’t want to fight a Mexican.”
Ramirez also revealed he will achieve American citizenship next month.
“Zurdo and his manager want the best fights. That’s what he wants, to be great,” said Eric Gomez, who is the president of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotion and works with Ramirez. “You have to fight the best. Canelo’s a great champion. He’s earned the right to be able to pick and choose who he wants.”
Alvarez split bitterly from De La Hoya following a breach-of-contract lawsuit over the unraveling of a 10-fight, $350-million deal with streaming service DAZN.
“If he doesn’t want to fight (Ramirez), we’ll move on,” Gomez said. “But ‘Zurdo’ wants to fight the best.”
Up next: Canelo-Golovkin III
Alvarez’s decision could lead him either to another 175-pound Russian champion, three-belt-wearing Artur Beterbiev. Or perhaps a date at 168 pounds against unbeaten middleweight champion Jermall Charlo of Houston or unbeaten former 168-pound champion David Benavidez.
But first, he renews his familiar rivalry with Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs), an opponent he knows better than any other in his career.
As he nears the completion of his third training camp for Golovkin — after battling through 24 prior rounds without either hard-hitting combatant touching the canvas — Alvarez knows exactly what he’s in for.
The easiest of those acknowledgments is knowing the stakes of the fight are once again immense.
Alvarez, 32, also knows his bitter rival turned 40 and that he has been marked up by lesser foes since their 2018 rematch.
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For the boxers, this trilogy fight means everything. Alvarez is coming off his first defeat in more than eight years — an outcome that arrived at the hands of an unbeaten 175-pound champion. Losing twice in the same year would be a particularly crushing event to Alvarez, given his disdain for Golovkin and his plans to regain his position as the world’s greatest boxer.
In 2017, Alvarez proved he could endure the power of Golovkin, who was then only one fight removed from a 23-bout knockout streak, with a draw. The following year, Alvarez triumphed on the scorecards with his pure aggression and a narrow majority decision.
“My head is so strong. I’m here for a reason,” Alvarez said Monday at his media workout. “I take that as a motivation, and I’m ready for this third fight.”
Fight odds
- Undisputed super-middleweight champion Alvarez: -600 favorite
- Underdog Golovkin: +340
Driven by disdain
His cause is rooted in hatred for Golovkin, Alvarez admitted.
Beyond the relentless criticism Golovkin heaped on Alvarez for testing positive for a banned substance that delayed their second fight, Alvarez took issue with Golovkin questioning his opponent’s choices since their second fight.
Aiming a vulgar term at Golovkin in their joint news conference earlier this summer, Alvarez said he won’t set aside the hate when he enters the ring and believes it will fuel a knockout punch — most likely to the body.
“Keep that hate in the ring. Need to be smart and handle it in the correct way, but I will bring that energy into the ring with me,” he said.
An expected advantage for Alvarez is the fact this bout will be at 168 pounds, following the first two meetings at 160. Alvarez reigns as the first undisputed division champion of the four-belt era, and he showed off a fit frame and agile motions during his in-ring work Monday.
“I think 168 is my best. I feel in my prime,” Alvarez said. “This (weight) is perfect for my skills.”
He’s also relished a renewed bond with his trainer Eddy Reynoso. The trainer had been juggling his attention on other fighters who previously trained in their gym and have since moved on — including unbeaten lightweight Ryan Garcia and former heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr.
“Our corner is nailed down,” Reynoso said. “We’re working really hard, preparing well. A rematch always helps a fighter, especially against one (like Golovkin) who isn’t hesitant to engage with you. It’s going to be complicated, a hard fight for both because both are familiar with one another and high-level fighters.”
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Reynoso explained Alvarez is motivated by the idea his legacy could be jeopardized by defeat.
“With the (Bivol) loss, it’s only made him mentally stronger and has led him to prepare better,” Reynoso said. “We are preparing for a disciplined ‘GGG,’ and until (Golovkin) dies, he’ll be able to knock you out with one punch. So we consider him dangerous.”
Alvarez confirmed he will bypass a previously discussed December bout and return in May 2023. He is mostly seeking a rematch against Bivol, whose defense against Ramirez is a mandatory assignment from the WBA.
Alvarez expressed eagerness to regain his pound-for-pound crown and operate as an example to other boxers who have allowed promotional interference to pause or scrap perfectly timed showdowns — including the Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford affair and Garcia versus fellow unbeaten Gervonta Davis.
“Look, I feel like I’m the best. I’m in a position where I feel I don’t need to take risks, but the best fighters need to take risks,” Alvarez said. “Then, you show everybody. I took risks, I jumped in the division, and I showed everybody I’m the best fighter in the world.
“I didn’t care (about losing). I like challenges. And the best fighters need to take challenges.”
At least for now, however, there’s an asterisk to that claim: no fellow Mexican fighters.
