In a battle for true Mexican pride, Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez took home a dominant unanimous decision victory over fellow countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 164.5-pound catchweight bout this past weekend (May 6, 2017) in the main event of an HBO pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast that took place before a crowd of 20,510 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The fight, which was as one sided as it gets, didn?t live up to the expectations that had been set for it in the pre-fight build-up, but the announcement that followed the final bell sure sent fireworks through the boxing community.
During his post-fight interview with HBO?s Max Kellerman, Alvarez officially announced the fight that hardcore boxing fans have been waiting for: a middleweight title fight between he and reigning WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO 160-pound champion Gennady Golovkin:
?Golovkin, you are next, my friend,? Canelo said in English as Golovkin, who was ringside for the fight, entered the ring to promote the September bout.
This bout, which is undoubtedly the biggest in boxing, has been in the works for quite some time now, with many giving up hope that it would actually come to fruition. Unlike the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao fight that came nearly five years too late in 2015, however, Alvarez vs. Golovkin will pit two of the sport?s best against each other with each man being in the prime of his career.
The fight holds high stakes for both men, as each represents the toughest challenge of the other?s career, but perhaps ?Canelo? has the most to prove.
Alvarez celebrates his victory over Chavez.
The cinnamon-haired Mexican is the biggest star in the sport today, although Anthony Joshua seems poised to overtake him, but that spot hasn?t helped him avoid criticism from fans. Many have hounded Alvarez for picking and choosing opponents, or in other words, many have accused him of avoiding ?GGG?.
Prior to his bout with a larger Chavez Jr., ?Canelo? elected to take on a natural welterweight in Amir Khan last May before vacating his middleweight title and dropping down in weight to fight an over-matched Liam Smith this past September instead of accepting a bout with Golovkin because his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, felt as if the super fight needed a bit more ?marinating?.
The Kazakh-born knockout artist has been dubbed the most feared puncher in boxing and for good reason, as he possesses a 37-0 professional record with 33 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Prior to his last fight, which ended in a decision victory over the tough Daniel Jacobs, Golovkin had scored 23 straight knockout victories.
With the fight between ?Canelo? and ?GGG? now set, however, Alvarez is aiming to silence the critics and silence the doubters. On September 16, 2017, Alvarez will finally take on the man that some thought he never would.
As a result, Alvarez will look to add to his title of boxing?s biggest star. The 26-year-old will look to become boxing?s fearless king: a man willing to share the ring with all challengers, something he?s been trying to convince the world of for years.
And if he comes out on top in a bout with ?GGG?, ?Canelo? will have a firm grip on boxing and the ability to lead it into a new era.
