Canelo Álvarez has not closed the door to face his biggest rival once again.
Mexican star Canelo Álvarez returns to the ring this Saturday, May 8 on his mission to be the undisputed super middleweight champion when he defends his WBA / WBC titles against WBO monarch Billy Joe Saunders in a unification match.
On Thursday, Alvarez indicated that he was not opposed to facing Gennadiy Golovkin in a third fight after Alvarez finishes the current task of unifying the super middleweight division.
“The truth is, I’m up for anything,” Alvarez said through a translator two days before facing Billy Joe Saunders at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
However, the stipulation is for Golovkin to move up to the 168-pound division. His two previous fights were at the 160-pound middleweight limit.
A possible third fight could seal a great trilogy between Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) and Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs).
In 2017 they fought in a highly controversial draw that many observers believe Golovkin should have won. Alvarez won the rematch in a split decision. Golovkin has beaten every professional fighter he has faced except Alvarez.
Throughout the preparation for this weekend’s fight against Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs), Alvarez has maintained that he wants to become the unified champion in the 168-pound division. The Alvarez-Saunders winner will have three of the top four belts. Caleb Plant has the other.
The 39-year-old Golovkin has repeatedly clamored for a third fight with Alvarez after the two controversial decisions in his previous bouts. Alvarez said Golovkin must move up a weight class for the fight to be a possibility.
“Why wouldn’t he?” Alvarez said, citing the fact that he went from junior middleweight to middleweight to face Golovkin, who currently doesn’t have a fight scheduled.
While the Kazakh fighter appears to be Alvarez’s legacy career rival, the Mexican champion disagrees with the idea that fights against GGG will be what most remember of Alvarez when he finally retires.
“I’ve done a lot,” Álvarez said. «I have fought with many good fighters, many champions. I beat him and I believe that everything will be the legacy of my career ». (GG) (ESPNDEPORTES.COM)