On Saturday, September 15, 2018, Lineal Middleweight Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and WBC, WBA and IBO Middleweight World Champion, Gennady Golovkin will look to settle the score.
Canelo vs. GGG 2 will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at a special time, which will start at 8:00 pm, EST/5:00 pm, PST.
The Middleweight combatants return to the scene of what many consider a crime after judges ruled what seemed to be a victory for Golovkin, as a draw. The argument has been made by many folks that Canelo did in fact do enough to win, but it’s fair to say that the majority of ringside pundits and fans alike felt that the heavy-handed Kazakh should have been ruled the victor.
After a big drama show occurred outside of the ring involving Canelo and a failed drug test (according to Canelo and his team this was due to ingesting tainted meat in Mexico), the original Cinco de Mayo rematch date was scrapped.
Since then, insults have been hurled from both camps and with only one month to go, things are heating up. Since training camp started, GGG has been relatively quiet, but one man who continues to fire his best shots is Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, who considers Canelo’s style in the first fight as an embarrassment.
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“Gennady had to chase Canelo, who boasted that he was the true Mexican warrior, around the ring,” said Sanchez via Boxing News 24. ”It reminded me of the four corners offense those old Dean Smith coached basketball teams used to play. I’m seriously considering asking the Nevada Commission to install a 24 second clock to force Canelo to engage.”
On Wednesday, August 15, 2018, Canelo participated in an international media conference call and got a chance to fire some shots back as he discussed his training and motivation as he prepares to face his bitter rival for the second time.
Although Canelo is the one who failed the drug test and forced the rematch to be rescheduled, he claims that Golovkin’s words and actions have caused him to lose respect for the long-reigning Middleweight champ.
“The respect that we had was lost,” said Canelo. “He crossed the line with his statements, with what he said, with the excuses, with all the crying from his team.”
Canelo mentioned that he does not feel any added pressure fighting for the first time since the Clenbuterol scandal, but it’s pretty obvious that the outcome of his rematch with Golovkin will determine how many boxing fans view him.
“The people who have always supported me have been there and will always be there,” said Canelo. “They know what it is. I’ve made all the tests. So they will always be there, my supporters.”
While the Canelo diehards may still be in support of their man regardless of what happens on September 15, if Canelo loses, many people–fair or not–will rush to the assumption that he’s been on the juice all along.
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While many people can’t imagine Canelo Alvarez stopping the “Good Boy Killah,” Gennady Golovkin, the Middleweight juggernaut is getting older and with all the extra motivation, Alvarez seems primed to make a strong impression on September 15.
If the recent collapse of the once-feared Russian Krusher, Sergey Kovalev serves as any sort of lesson, the young Canelo could be in the perfect position to end an era and start his own chapter in the Middleweight division.
Although Kovalev did get stopped in brutal fashion by Eleider Alvarez, many people were even more impressed with Atlantic City’s triumphant return to the boxing scene.
If you can’t make the match in Las Vegas, it will be broadcast on HBO. Before the match starts, test your luck with some online gaming to get the Vegas feel right at home. This Harrahs Online Casino Review will give you all the details playing the best online games.
Header photo by Tom Hogan/Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
