The Mexican Saúl «Canelo» Álvarez and the Kazakh Gennady Golovkin will star this Saturday in one of the biggest fights on the current boxing scene, with several middleweight titles at stake in the second part of a rivalry that aspires to become the eternal history of boxing .
Between accusations of doping, certainties of knockouts and dialectical exchanges between both corners, Canelo and GGG will get into the ring of the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Mexico’s Independence Day, a year after signing a tie that did not convince any of the two parties.
The scores were then 118-110 for the Aztec, 115-113 for the Kazakh and 114-114, marks that even led to an investigation due to the impartiality of the judges.
The rematch, initially scheduled for May 5, had to be suspended due to two positive tests by Álvarez, who then blamed the results on the consumption of contaminated meat in his country.
A version that Golovkin’s corner never believed.
I don’t think it was the meat. I don’t believe their stories of tainted meat. Experts determined it was doping, not contaminated meat. Those stories don’t make sense, “Golovkin said Tuesday upon arrival in Las Vegas.
“There is no denying that there are puncture marks on his hands and arms. The injection marks were evident (…) everywhere, on his biceps, his stomach… you could see the marks all over his body… ”, declared the current champion for the WBA, WBC and the IBF.
Golovkin, who kept his belts last September, also criticized that his opponent did not want to face him in the ring, running and fleeing from him instead of directly confronting him, something repeated numerous times in recent months also by his coach, the Mexican Abel Sánchez .
«There have been no insults from me. The reality is that (Canelo) tested positive and that he ran away (during the fight) “, commented at the end of August the Golovkin coach, who has built over the years one of the most fearsome boxers of recent decades .
And it is that the Kazakh, with his KO to the American Vanes Martyrosian in May, equaled the 20 defenses of his titles of the legend Bernard Hopkins and now he aspires to break that mark against his nemesis.
– Knock out –
Experience against youth, veteran and stuck in front of a great footwork and a fearsome right hand, Golovkin, 36, against Álvarez, 28, for a historic victory that, if it comes by knockout, will be round.
I’m going out to win the fight. To fulfill my objective from day one, which is to knock him out and I will go out to do it from the first round, ”the Mexican pointed out at the official press conference before the fight.
“Winning for my legacy is very important, I will win on Saturday to continue writing my story,” he added.
Something that doubts from the corner of Golovkin, who has tired of repeating that in order to aspire to knock him out, he should first face him directly instead of keeping his distance.
“Gennady knocking out Canelo will be a public service to boxing and the meat industry in Mexico,” Sanchez said Thursday.
In case of Álvarez’s victory, Golovkin would not only lose his belts but also an undefeated one that he proudly carries after signing 38 wins, 34 of them by KO and a single draw while his opponent has a balance of 49 wins (34 by KO), two draws and a single defeat, against the American Floyd Mayweather.
The whole world will have their sights set on Saturday on a fight that “transcends the sport,” as Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler recalled on Wednesday.
A match between two boxers with pending accounts that define an era of boxing. AFP