“THIS WAS NOT LIKE CANELO NOT BEING READY. IT WAS GOLDEN BOY NOT BEING READY.” – Gennady Golovkin
LOS ANGELES (September 11, 2017) – Fight Week for the epic battle everyone has wished for is finally here. Boxing’s No. 1 superhero and undefeated WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO Middleweight World Champion, GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN and lineal and Ring magazine Middleweight World Champion and Mexican icon CANELO ALVAREZ, finally, are about to collide. Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs), who has been middleweight champion since 2010, is five days away from his 19th consecutive title defense – one short of the all-time record – against lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and Mexican icon Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs). Canelo vs. Golovkin is the long-awaited showdown to determine supremacy of the storied middleweight division and arguably the pound-for-pound rankings.
“This wasn’t like Canelo not being ready. It was Golden Boy not being ready. We have been talking about this fight for three years,” said Golovkin, boxing’s longest-reigning world champion. “Finally Canelo AND Golden Boy are ready for this fight. First step to history. Everyone will remember this fight. It is the biggest fight of all.”
“I have trained a lot of fighters. A lot. But I have never worked with one who was avoided more than Gennady,” said trainer Abel Sanchez. “The special fighters accept challenges or dare to step up and make the challenge. It’s the measure of the man. It is the difference between good and great. Ali stepped up against Liston. Leonard stepped up against Hagler. Holyfield stepped up against Tyson. These are fights and fighters that will always be remembered because they dared to be tested at the highest level regardless of risk. Now, at last, we have Gennady against Canelo, a real Mexican fight. I give Canelo credit because he has always wanted this fight. I am relieved that his promoter finally had the confidence to make it.”
Header photo by Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
