Four years after their bitter rematch, Canelo Alvarez controlled an aging Gennadiy Golovkin and won their third meeting by unanimous decision in Las Vegas on September 17, 2022.

The first meeting ended in a split draw that many believed Golovkin deserved. Canelo received a majority decision in their 2018 rematch, but that result also divided viewers. Their third fight was different. There was no serious argument over the winner.

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Scores of 116-112 and 115-113 twice allowed Canelo to retain his undisputed super middleweight championship. The correct fighter won, although the two 115-113 cards were strangely generous to Golovkin.

The four-year wait heavily favored Canelo. He was 28 when they fought the second time and 32 for the trilogy finale. Golovkin went from 36 to 40 during that same stretch. Promotional disputes, purse negotiations, and changing broadcast arrangements delayed the fight until Golovkin’s physical decline was impossible to ignore.

Moving up to 168 pounds for the first time spared Golovkin the middleweight cut, but the additional weight did nothing for his aging legs and slower reactions. The fighter who had cut off the ring with small, intelligent steps in 2017 was no longer present.

Working from the center, Canelo controlled the action with his jab, left hook, and overhand right. He did not need the sustained forward pressure he used during their 2018 rematch. Lateral movement and subtle changes in distance were enough to keep Golovkin following him without trapping him.

For most of the opening eight rounds, Golovkin waited and accomplished very little. His jab lacked conviction, his right hand rarely followed, and his body attack was almost nonexistent. Trainer Johnathon Banks repeatedly urged him to let his hands go, but the instructions exposed the difference between seeing an opening and being physically able to exploit it.

Only four months removed from his decisive loss to Dmitry Bivol, Canelo had little reason to force exchanges and risk a second consecutive defeat. He boxed with greater caution and took the rounds Golovkin surrendered. That approach produced control without the ferocity many anticipated.

The CompuBox numbers reflected the tactical divide. Canelo held an 85-46 advantage in power punches landed. Golovkin increased his output during the final four rounds, finally applying pressure and landing combinations, but he had already conceded too much of the fight.

A torn TFCC ligament in Canelo’s left wrist offered another explanation for his late restraint. He revealed afterward that the injury required surgery. It also helps explain his reduced power output and reluctance to chase a knockout once the contest was under control.

Neither man was seriously hurt. Their embrace afterward ended years of hostility, but it did not erase the scoring controversy from the first two fights. Canelo left with the official series victory at 2-0-1, while Golovkin left with a lingering argument that the trilogy arrived four years too late.

The third fight settled who was better in 2022. It did not settle who deserved the first fight in 2017.