What’s the biggest win in Gennady Golovkin’s career? You could say GGG is yet to score his biggest win, his defining win. Certainly, Golovkin says he is looking forward to scoring “the biggest win in my career” on September 17 in Las Vegas. Speaking with The Las Vegas Review-Journal, the 40 year old was of course speaking about his third and final battle with bitter rival Canelo Alvarez.
Now, plenty of fans (this one included) feel GGG won fights one and two with Canelo, yet it doesn’t matter; the results are down in the history books as a draw in fight-one and as a close decision victory for the Mexican star in the rematch. Triple-G now wants to get the ‘W’ in the trilogy fight. One of the big talking points going into the third fight, along with Golovkin’s age and how much he has left at age 40, is the weight – how will GGG feel and be able to perform up at 168?
GGG says he feels “extremely comfortable” at middleweight, but that he thinks he will “feel fresh” in the 168 pound weight division. Yet at the same time, GGG says he is not altogether sure how he will feel fighting at super-middleweight, as this is his first time in doing so.
“It’s hard to say because this is my first time,” GGG said when asked how different it is getting ready for a fight at 168 pounds. “I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy fight. My opponent is a champion, he has four belts, and he’s arguably the best fighter at that weight class. I’m jumping to the weight class for the first time and I’m fighting the best fighter in that class. Most likely I’ll feel fresh in that weight category. I think I’ll be ready for the physical standpoint. I think I’ll feel more comfortable in that weight class. On the other hand, I should say I feel extremely comfortable in my class. At 160.”
Canelo does seem to have every possible advantage going into fight-three: the fight will be fought at his weight, the fight will be fought once again in Las Vegas (where some people say the judging favours Canelo), and Canelo is the younger man at age 32. But Canelo is coming off a loss and this may well affect him on the night of September 17.
Canelo, who says he wants to give Golovkin, 42-1-1(37) a career-ending beating, is the favourite with the odds-makers. Still, GGG is coming across as cool, calm and confident. And Golovkin is looking forward to a win that would be “very fulfilling.”
“It would be the biggest win in my career,” GGG said. “It would be the best thing that happened. That would be very fulfilling.”
But how can GGG get a win? Plenty of people think the only way Golovkin can be assured of victory is to score the knockout or stoppage, and this is no easy task against the seriously durable Canelo. Are we heading to another close and competitive 12 rounds that leave room for debate as to who won the fight?
Or can Canelo score the kind of damaging stoppage win he seems to be determined to score?