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Canelo takes shots at GGG in Prefight Press Conference
By: Matthew N. Becher
Canelo Alvarez is preparing for his Jr. Middleweight title fight this September 24th against the WBO champion Liam “Beefy” Smith. Yesterday he answered questions about why he was actually taking this fight, instead of fighting who everyone wants to see him fight, Gennady Golovkin.
Alvarez stated in his last win, after a demolishing knockout against Amir Khan, that he was more than ready to take on the monster known as “GGG”, “Like we say in Mexico, ‘We don’t fuck around,’ ” Alvarez said. “I don’t fear anyone. Right now I will put on the gloves again and fight.” Alvarez was the lineal Middleweight champion, and the stage was set, in what would have been the biggest fight of the year. Instead, Canelo waited two weeks, vacated his belt to Golovkin and is now fighting a much lesser known opponent, on Pay Per view, which may not do very good numbers.
Yesterday, during a press conference for the fight, Alvarez was asked about the future fight with Golovkin, “There are always going to be critics, but at the end of the day, I have to do what’s best for my career.” “I’m preparing for the best Liam Smith there is, I am going with my game plan and he is going with his.” Alvarez then added, “I’m not going to have to prepare for GGG, he is going to have to prepare for me.”
Lance Pugmire of the L.A. Times even noted that “Canelo made it very clear in his interview, HE’LL dictate when the GGG fight is coming.” A statement that is very telling, but which most boxing fans could have guessed was happening at this point, since they aren’t fighting each other this fall.
Canelo not fighting Golovkin is a big knock right now on his young career. Fans are tired of the best fighters not taking on the best opponents available. The business side has its own answers, or excuses, but in the end, it is just hurting the sport as a whole.
Not sure how this will play out, but Canelo has villainized himself with his own fan base. The young fighters from Mexico who took on all comers, now has relegated himself to ducking another fighter, Something that does not look good to the people that are supposed to pay to see you fight. Will fans pay to see him fight in Arlington against a relatively unknown champion from the UK? Will he be protested for not taking on Golovkin? Will he straight away fight GGG next May? We’ll all just have to wait and see.
