Eddie Hearn recently stated how the build-up to the planned September battle between bitter rivals Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will be something to behold, “they can’t stand each other,” the promoter said. We’re not yet close to the fight (Canelo has to beat Dmitry Bivol in May and before that, GGG has to beat Ryota Murata in April), but the war of words has started.
It’s true these two great fighters – who have fought two great action fights, with Canelo scoring the close points win in the return, GGG getting a draw that so clearly should have been a win in the first encounter – have some major bad blood, and now Canelo has vowed to make Golovkin “pay.” Canelo doesn’t like the manner in which GGG has talked about him – Golovkin recently stating that only delusional people think the Mexican star truly defeated him – and he told The DAZN Boxing Show that the third fight, pencilled in for September, is “personal.”
“It’s personal. He talked a lot of shit about me, so he is going to pay,” Canelo said.
How much Golovkin pays we must wait and see. Pushing the age of 40, GGG has not boxed in well over a year and we fans are waiting to see how Triple-G looks in the Murata fight. If he struggles, and then has to move up to 168 to fight Canelo, GGG may well be made to pay in the September fight. But Canelo is not facing a picnic of a fight against the unbeaten Bivol. Who has the tougher assignment: GGG against Murata, or Canelo against Bivol?
Canelo says he rates Bivol as the best fighter in the light-heavyweight division.
“I chose Bivol because he’s a great fighter,” Canelo said. “He’s the best at 175. I just want to make history. He’s a really good fighter. He knows what to do in the ring. I know what kind of fighter he is, but I don’t really care. I’m in my prime and I’ve got a lot of skills.”
Canelo is in his prime, Golovkin is not. This may well prove to be the difference when, or if, they fight in September. It would be a pity if one or even both stars lost, thus rubbing out that third battle against one another. Canelo may be looked at by most everybody as the prohibitive favourite but we want to see the third and final showdown all the same.
Hearn says it’s “the biggest fight in the sport.” Maybe it will be come September.