Three weeks ago, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor met in the ring for one of the most lucrative prizefights in history. More than 13,000 fans paid astronomical prices to be in attendance. Upwards of 4 million people in the U.S. shelled out $100 bucks to watch from the comfort of their couches. Security analysts estimate another 3 million people streamed the fight illegally to their computers, Fire Sticks and Kodi boxes.
The fight was big business. However, if you look past the cash, the fight was essentially meaningless. McGregor fought better than most people expected, but let?s keep it real, the only way he could?ve beaten Mayweather is if he?d entered the ring with a Louisville Slugger.
This weekend, dedicated fight fans are gearing up for another big fight. Though it doesn?t quite carry the hype of Mayweather vs McGregor, the long-awaited fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin is a big-time boxing event in its own right and the leading candidate for Fight of the Year.
Both Golovkin (37-0-0, 33 KO) and Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KO) have crowd-pleasing fighting styles. Their bouts usually feature them bruising and battering their opponents across the ring. The fighters both have impressive (and underrated) technical boxing skills. They are also consensus Top 10 pound for pound fighters. That makes this matchup the most meaningful boxing match since the two bouts between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev.
This is a bout that fight fans demanded for several years before it came to fruition. The usual suspects of boxing delays all played a part: promotional issues, money disputes, weight-class concerns and good old-fashioned ducking (here?s looking at you Canelo and Oscar De La Hoya) all played a part.
After spending several years establishing himself as the catch weight king, Alvarez has finally decided to make the move to full-time middleweight.
Plenty of prestige and hardware is on the line for the bout. Golovkin holds the IBF, WBA and WBC world titles. However, Alvarez has been considered The Ring?s middleweight championship since he defeated former WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in 2005. The fighter who emerges victorious will be considered the undisputed legitimate middleweight champion of the world (sorry, Billy Joe Saunders). Furthermore, the victor will assume the No. 2 spot on the pound for pound list, behind Ward.
Paths to victory
Alvarez is a very active fighter who often works behind a stiff jab and brutal body shots. Though he isn?t known for one punch knockout power, Alvarez often wears down his opponents with sustained pressure. After his loss to Mayweather in 2013, Alvarez stepped up his defense and has become one of the more complete fighters in the game.
Golovkin is more of a boxing bully. There?s not much cuteness in his game. He has defensive flaws, including a general lack of head movement. It usually doesn?t matter though due to the Kazakhstan native?s has two tremendous skills.
First, his power is extraordinary. We?re talking Iron Fist minus the bad acting and goofy grin. Golovkin possesses legitimate one-punch knockout power. His 89 percent knockout rate doesn?t begin to tell the entire story. Golovkin hurts people. +1 Gennady Golokin punches Kell Brook
Gennady Golovkin aka ?GGG? has serious power behind every punch. When Kell Brook moved up from welterweight to face Golovkin in 2016, Golovkin sent him home with a broken eye socket and the first loss of his career.
When former IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook decided to jump up two weight classes to chase the bag, Golovkin sent him home with his first loss and a broken eye socket that could?ve ended his career.
Golovkin?s other remarkable skill is his ability to cut off the ring. When opponent?s retreat, and they almost always do, he is often able to take away their escape routes and hunt them down with amazing efficiency. Like Alvarez, Golovkin is an accomplished body puncher, which helps to slow his opponents down and makes it easier to find his prey.
At 35-years-old, many boxing insiders wonder whether Golovkin is starting to lose a step. He was touched more than usual in his last two bouts versus Brook and Danny Jacobs. Jacobs landed nearly 40 percent of his power punches against Golovkin. Brook landed 37 percent of his power shots before he was stopped in the fifth round.
The 27-year-old Alvarez is certainly the most-talented fighter that ?GGG? has ever faced and is in his fighting prime. If he lands against Golovkin at a similar clip, he could wear his older opponent.
While Golovkin is seven years older, when it comes to big-fight experience, he doesn?t measure up. Alvarez?s resume features highly-respected names such as Mayweather, Cotto, Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara, Amir Khan and others. Golden Boy?s current golden boy is a pay per view pro. For Golovkin, this bout represents his first major PPV event.
Who?s going to win?
In a battle between two evenly-matched opponents, I normally choose the more technically-skilled, faster fighter. In this case, that would be Canelo Alvarez. However, Gennady Golovkin has the type of power that makes his opponents rethink their career choice right there in the ring. His highlight reel knockouts are made for the animated GIF age in which we live. Though he?s not the swiftest fighter, he is technically sound on the offensive end. Defensively, his chin has proven strong enough to conceal his flaws.
This should be a blood and guts battle for the ages. Expect Golovkin?s power to be the difference. In a battle of body shots, Golovkin?s will do more damage and Alvarez will start to wear down around the ninth round. I?m taking Gennady Golovkin to win via 10th round TKO.
