Intense final press conference as Canelo and Golokvin prepare to end rivalry with trilogy bout
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will square off for the third and presumably final time tonight as the pair seek a clear conclusion to what has been a controversial rivalry.
Canelo (57-2-2, 39 knockouts) and “GGG” (42-1-1, 37 KOs) first clashed at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in September 2017, fighting to a controversial split draw when most observers believed that then-unified middleweight champion Golovkin had done enough to claim the victory. Twelve months later in the same venue, the rivals clashed again and produced an instant classic. Again, many felt that GGG had deserved the win, but Canelo took the titles from the Kazakh with a majority-decision win – marking the first loss of Golovkin’s professional career.
Four years on, Golovkin and Canelo are set for another September showdown at the T-Mobile Arena, this time with the Mexican’s super-middleweight titles on the line. Alvarez, 32, enters the bout on the back of just the second defeat of his pro career, a points loss to light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in May. Meanwhile, age is not on GGG’s side as the 40-year-old looks to finally score an official victory over Canelo, but he is at least in form – having last competed in April, when he stopped Ryota Murata in the ninth round. Tonight, one of boxing’s great modern rivalries looks set to be decided for good. Follow live updates and results from the main event and undercard, below.
Canelo vs GGG 3 LIVE
When Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin first shared a ring in September 2017, the hardest punch that landed that night seemed to be the overhand right that the Mexican catapulted onto the chin of “GGG”, midway through the ninth round. The velocity and impact were frightening in equal measure, but not as much as Golovkin’s stoic expression as he twisted his head back to face Canelo and continued to plod towards the younger fighter – an unmoved, unimpressed, undeterred Terminator.
While that punch has gone down as one of the great viral moments of this generation in boxing, some would argue that the hardest shot to land that night in Las Vegas was the gut punch to Golovkin and his supporters when the result of his middleweight title fight with Canelo was revealed. Despite the Kazakh leading the dance with near constant forward pressure and compiling a collection of cleaner punches than his opponent, GGG was only a 115-113 winner on one scorecard. The others read 114-114 and a stupefying 118-110 in Canelo’s favour.
Twelve months later, the pair returned to the T-Mobile Arena in a bid to provide clarity where none was actually needed, only for judging to once again frustrate Golovkin more than any of Canelo’s offence or defence. Alvarez was declared a majority-decision winner – a 115-113 victor on two scorecards, while the other read 114-114. The fight was an instant classic, undoubtedly closer than the rivals’ first, but a significant proportion of observers had Golovkin winning again.
Here’s why tonight’s trilogy fight could be another gut punch for Golovkin and his fans:
Why Canelo vs GGG 3 could be a gut punch for Golovkin
A controversial draw and disputable defeat are all the Kazakh has to show for two fine showings against Alvarez, who holds all the cards in their impending, final clash
Alex Pattle18 September 2022 00:44
Canelo vs GGG 3 LIVE
Canelo Alvarez vs Gennady Golovkin 3 (WBC, IBF, WBO, WBA super-middleweight titles)
Jesse Rodriguez vs Israel Gonzalez (WBC super-flyweight title)
Ali Akhmedov vs Gabriel Rosado (super-middleweight)
Austin Williams vs Kieron Conway (middleweight)
Diego Pacheco vs Enrique Collazo (super-middleweight)
Marc Castro vs Kevin Montiel Mendoza (lightweight)
Aaron Aponte vs Fernando Molina (light-welterweight)
Anthony Herrera vs Delvin McKinley (bantamweight)
Alex Pattle18 September 2022 00:29
Canelo vs GGG 3 LIVE
Alex Pattle18 September 2022 00:14
Canelo vs GGG 3 LIVE
In the UK and Ireland, as well as in the US, tonight’s event will be available exclusively as a pay-per-view on streaming platform DAZN.
A DAZN subscription is available at a cost of £7.99 per month, with Canelo vs Golovkin 3 priced at £9.99 on top of that cost.
Alex Pattle18 September 2022 00:01
Canelo vs GGG 3 LIVE
The main card will begin at 1am BST on Sunday (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday).
Ring walks for the main event are expected to take place at 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday).
Alex Pattle17 September 2022 23:44
Canelo vs GGG 3 LIVE
Canelo (57-2-2, 39 knockouts) and “GGG” (42-1-1, 37 KOs) first clashed at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in September 2017, fighting to a controversial split draw when most observers believed that then-unified middleweight champion Golovkin had done enough to claim the victory. Twelve months later in the same venue, the rivals clashed again and produced an instant classic. Again, many felt that GGG had deserved the win, but Canelo took the titles from the Kazakh with a majority-decision win – marking the first loss of Golovkin’s professional career.
Four years on, Golovkin and Canelo are set for another September showdown at the T-Mobile Arena, this time with the Mexican’s super-middleweight titles on the line. Alvarez, 32, enters the bout on the back of just the second defeat of his pro career, a points loss to light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in May. Meanwhile, age is not on GGG’s side as the 40-year-old looks to finally score an official victory over Canelo, but he is at least in form – having last competed in April, when he stopped Ryota Murata in the ninth round. Tonight, one of boxing’s great modern rivalries looks set to be decided for good.
Alex Pattle17 September 2022 23:20