Updated:
May 25, 2022 10:37 pmGGG v Canelo 3 The trilogy fight 5 years in the making to decide Boxing immortality
GGG v Canelo 3 has a poetic rhyming symmetry, and their historic trilogy fight which has now been confirmed for 17th September in Las Vegas, Nevada, will square the circle of two of Boxing’s greats – Kazakh, Gennady Golovkin, and Mexico’s Saul Canelo Alvarez who will compete at super middleweight to decide once and for all the 168 Ib king of the ages.
Twice before the fighters have locked horns: The first fight produced a controversial split-decision draw. Two of the ringside judges had it 116-112 in favour of Golovkin whilst a third, Judge Adalaide Byrd, scored the contest 118–110 for Álvarez -a scorecard widely ridiculed for being out of touch with events in the ring.
Despite the nature of the verdict and subsequent controversy, the fighters delivered a modern classic as befitting their status of p4p champions. However, the majority of esteemed pundits and former boxers had Golovkin winning the fight, albeit in a very close contest.
The second fight In front of a sell-out crowd of 21,965, produced yet more controversy as Alvarez was given the nod over Golovkin via majority decision after 12 rounds. The result was disputed by fight fans, boxing pundits, and the media alike. A straw poll of 18 media outlets, for example, had Golovkin the winner in 10, a draw in 7, with just one opting for an Alvarez win.
Embed from Getty ImagesBoth fighters come to the ring on the back of mixed fortunes. Last time out, Canelo Alvarez continued his forays into higher weight divisions, beefing up to light-heavy in an unsuccessful attempt to prise the WBA Super title from the skilled Russian incumbent, Dmitrii Bivol.
Golovkin looked ragged, weight drained and unimposing in his most recent fight against Ryōta Murata before finding a way to stop the Japanese champion via technical knockout in his own backyard and relieve him of his WBA (Super) crown.
At 40 years old, Triple G is surely near the end of his fighting career, which has seen him become one of the all-time great middleweight champions who was close to unifying the entire division in his pomp. He will step into the ring facing a Canelo Alvarez in his prime, albeit with his air of invincibility a little tarnished because of his recent loss.
Indeed, promoter Eddie Hearn believes that after the defeat to Bivol ‘the mirage’ of Canelo as an unbeatable fighter, ‘no longer exists.’
“The first two fights were two of the greatest fights we’ve ever seen, and I think this one will be the biggest fight in boxing. It will be a brutal fight. This fight won’t go 12 rounds.” said Hearn.
The stage is set then for a defining fight night in September. The stakes are high in Vegas with the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring titles being on the line.
“It’s time to end what we started and defend our titles. #CaneloGGG3 this September 17th,” Canelo said this week.
A mouth-watering epic in prospect awaits.
Let GGG v Canelo 3 be controversy-free.
