Via Allan fox, fox: Gennadiy ‘GGG’ Golovkin still hasn’t given up hope that a triple match against Canelo Alvarez is still possible even though it has been three years since the two last fought in 2018.
What worked for IBF middleweight champion Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) to land a lucrative third encounter with 31-year-old Canelo were various factors. Golovkin will turn 40 next April, and he’s running out of time to join the fight.
Golovkin inactive
What also hurts Golovkin’s chances of getting a three-part match against Canelo is that he is inactive by fighting two to three times a year to stay in the public eye. Canelo might be more intrigued by the idea of a third war if Golovkin still fights as often as before.
Golovkin fought it out in December 2020, almost a year ago, when he destroyed his all-too-consistent IBF imperative Kamil Szeremeta by knockout in the seventh round.
Before that bout, Golovkin had been out of action for ten months, another long layoff for a boxer approaching 40. It wasn’t good trying to put pressure on Canelo Alvarez.
What hurts Golovkin more than his growing age and inactivity is the stiff opposition he has been facing since 2018.
It seems to boxing fans, Golovkin lost his ambition and purposely resisted in the middle of the road to avoid getting hit.
Golovkin’s last three battles:
- Kamil Szeremeta
- Steve Rolls
- Sergiy Derevyanchenko
Those are not good teamfights and not the ones that GGG needs to fight to put pressure on Canelo. Although Canelo beat the belt-holders at 168 and 175, he was much busier than Golovkin and showed more ambition.
Like Golovkin, Canelo was very selective about the opponents he faced, carefully picking champions with little risk of defeating him. It doesn’t matter that Canelo swaps talented fighters like David Benavidez. The fact that Canelo continuously wins titles makes his fans happy.
Golovkin has shot himself in the foot when he hasn’t faced quality fighters since his loss to Canelo, and that gives the Mexican star an excuse not to have to fight him. Canelo is not lazy, but you can tell he is no longer willing to take risks since the fight with Golovkin.
Golovkin’s next match will be against WBA middleweight champion Ryota Murata on December 29 in Saitama, Japan. The 35-year-old Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) continues the same lackluster confrontation as Golovkin has fought since 2018.
The Japanese star has been beaten twice by Hassan Ndam and Rob Brant, and he is underrated.
In order for Golovkin to have the heat with Canelo, he needs to fight these guys:
- Jermall Charlo
- Demetrius Andrade
- David Benavidez
- Chris Eubank Jr
“This fight is possible. Theoretically, nothing has changed,” Golovkin said to Sky Sportss in a three-part match against Canelo Alvarez.
“There are some questions that have been raised. They remain open; they are still unanswered. We’ve discussed it but haven’t moved on to this fight for quite some time,” said Golovkin.
Canelo will move up to cruiser to face WBC champion Ilunga Makabu in early 2022. Assuming Canelo beat Makabu, he is expected to be relegated to 175 to face champions Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol or Joe Smith Jr.
It would be a bold move for Canelo to fight any of those three because they pose a greater risk to the Mexican star than any other boxer he has to. face since a close victory over Golovkin in 2018.
For that reason, it’s unlikely that Canelo will fight any 175 lb champion. What we will likely see is Canelo return to 168 to defend against his WBA mandatory John Ryder. It’s been an undefeated battle for Canelo, and England fans will love it.
“I don’t think about him at all,” Golovkin talks about him supposedly not thinking about Canelo.
“I don’t want to entertain moving to another department unless there’s an offer on the table,” he says.
“Imagine if I moved to 175lbs, the number of people calling me out would increase by 30%,” says Golovkin.
If Golovkin is thinking tactically, he should move up to 175 in 2019 and use Dmitry Bivol or Artur Beterbiev for one of the belts to use as a bargaining chip to get a match. three parts with Canelo.
