Via Craig Daly: Canelo Alvarez is in a position not to lose to arch-enemy Gennadiy Golovkin this Saturday night.
Canelo was dropped from the #1 pound-for-pound list following a loss to Dmitry Bivol last May.
Another loss at the hands of Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) would be catastrophic for the career of former four-time world champion Canelo, 32.
Losing to 40-year-old Golovkin is not something Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) can brush under the rug, as he tried to do after his loss to Bivol.
Boxing fans won’t believe another excuse from Canelo about something amiss in training camp. If Canelo loses to Golovkin, he will need to own the loss rather than try to present a convenient alibi.
“Canelo vs. Gennadiy Golovkin, the battle to settle the score, the trio completing the battle for two of the biggest stars of this generation,” Chris Mannix told JAB by DAZN.
“Canelo comes into this matchup as a significant favourite, but both of them have a lot going for them, not least of which comes in with a clear win after two near-razor skirmishes. Who is this fight more important to, Canelo or GGG? “
“Canelo is more at risk in this fight. He has to prove and show boxing fans, haters, critics, everyone, that he is still a heavyweight talent,” said Sergio Mora.
“He’s not number 1; he’s not at the top of the pound-for-pound list anymore. He was kicked out of the top three. So now he needs to prove that he is still a commodity, and he needs to do it against Golovkin. Someone he hasn’t clearly beaten yet.
“This bitter rivalry lasted until 2017. We still don’t have a clear winner here. A split, draw by majority, we need a clear decision here, and I think we’ll get there this time around.
“It’s not just because they’re nasty opponents and they know each other well, and they’re familiar with each other’s strengths and everything else, but it’s timing. Whenever you do something over and over again, you have to find a way.
‘In boxing, that way is a knockout. In every great trilogy we get to see knockouts. We’re going to deliver something great for the fans, and we’re finally going to finish this trilogy and put it behind,” Mora said.
