LAS VEGAS -- Soon all the all the drama leading up to the rematch between Gennady Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) won't matter. Once two of the best fighters the sport has to offer touch gloves fans won't care about a failed drug test or fighters blasting each other in the media, all that will matter will be the next 12 rounds. That fight will finally happen on Sept. 15 on HBO pay-per-view and on the line will be Golovkin's WBC and WBA middleweight titles, along with middleweight supremacy.
The 36-year-old Golovkin fights out of the orthodox stance and is one of the most devastating punchers in boxing. He works behind a very stiff jab and while his right hand can certainly do damage it is his left hook that is his best punch. That left hook is dangerous upstairs but when he lands it to the body his opponent usually doesn't get up. In the past the Kazakh fighter has also done a tremendous job of cutting off the ring but his legs aren't what they used to be and opponents have had an easier time escaping in recent years. Defensively, Golovkin doesn't use many tricks. Instead he relies on his rock solid chin to absorb any punishment his opponent can dish out and despite his age he still has one of the best chins in the entire sport.
Originally this rematch was supposed to happen in May but when Alvarez tested positive for a banned substance that bout was scraped. Not wanting to waste a training camp, Golovkin elected to fight anyway and took on late replacement Vanes Martirosyan. That fight was never in doubt and Golovkin dismantled Martirosyan in two rounds. Among his other conquests are Daniel Jacobs, Kell Brook, David Lemieux, and Daniel Geale. While Golovkin has already solidified himself as one of the best middleweights of his era, a win over Alvarez would really cement his all-time legacy.
While Golovkin likes to come forward and attack, Alvarez likes to play the role of counter puncher. He has no problem letting his opponent take the lead while he waits for opportunities to land powerful shots of his own. He also has a stiff jab and a right hand he can do plenty of good work with but his best punch is his left hook. While he doesn't hit as hard as Golovkin, his timing is impeccable and he has scored some highlight reel one-punch knockouts with counter left hooks. Compared to Golovkin he is better defensively and his movements to avoid punishment are also better. Alvarez also has a chin made of bricks and has never been dropped as a pro.
Alvarez has plenty of big names on his resume. While he lost to the best fighter he's ever faced in Floyd Mayweather, he does hold wins over the likes of Shane Mosley, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, and Amir Khan. Still, many people felt that Alvarez lost the first fight to Golovkin so he has something to prove in the rematch, especially since in between the two fights he was popped for using performance enhancing drugs which he attributed to eating tainted meat in his native Mexico.
In the first fight both Golovkin and Alvarez showed the other too much respect. Golovkin wasn't as aggressive as he usually is and Alvarez got too defensive at times. Since both are more familiar with each other this time around expect the action to pick up even sooner than it did in the first fight. Golovkin made a huge mistake in the first fight by not going to the body early or often enough so look for him to really commit to the body in the rematch. He should also look to cut off the ring better, if he's able to, and keep Alvarez on the ropes where he can dig to the body. As for Alvarez, look for him to push the action and be slightly more offensively minded than he was the first time around which could make the rematch even better than the first fight.
PREDICTION: The first fight was very close but it should have been Gennady Golovkin who came away with the close decision victory. This time around both fighters will look better than they did in the first fight and since both have great chins the fight will once again go the distance. Despite putting in a very good effort Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will not get the victory he's looking for and it will be Golovkin who gets the close unanimous decision win.
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| Golovkin catching Alvarez with an uppercut |
Originally this rematch was supposed to happen in May but when Alvarez tested positive for a banned substance that bout was scraped. Not wanting to waste a training camp, Golovkin elected to fight anyway and took on late replacement Vanes Martirosyan. That fight was never in doubt and Golovkin dismantled Martirosyan in two rounds. Among his other conquests are Daniel Jacobs, Kell Brook, David Lemieux, and Daniel Geale. While Golovkin has already solidified himself as one of the best middleweights of his era, a win over Alvarez would really cement his all-time legacy.
While Golovkin likes to come forward and attack, Alvarez likes to play the role of counter puncher. He has no problem letting his opponent take the lead while he waits for opportunities to land powerful shots of his own. He also has a stiff jab and a right hand he can do plenty of good work with but his best punch is his left hook. While he doesn't hit as hard as Golovkin, his timing is impeccable and he has scored some highlight reel one-punch knockouts with counter left hooks. Compared to Golovkin he is better defensively and his movements to avoid punishment are also better. Alvarez also has a chin made of bricks and has never been dropped as a pro.
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| Alvarez landing a big right hand on Golovkin |
In the first fight both Golovkin and Alvarez showed the other too much respect. Golovkin wasn't as aggressive as he usually is and Alvarez got too defensive at times. Since both are more familiar with each other this time around expect the action to pick up even sooner than it did in the first fight. Golovkin made a huge mistake in the first fight by not going to the body early or often enough so look for him to really commit to the body in the rematch. He should also look to cut off the ring better, if he's able to, and keep Alvarez on the ropes where he can dig to the body. As for Alvarez, look for him to push the action and be slightly more offensively minded than he was the first time around which could make the rematch even better than the first fight.
PREDICTION: The first fight was very close but it should have been Gennady Golovkin who came away with the close decision victory. This time around both fighters will look better than they did in the first fight and since both have great chins the fight will once again go the distance. Despite putting in a very good effort Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will not get the victory he's looking for and it will be Golovkin who gets the close unanimous decision win.
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