Tag Archives: GGG

Posted on 08/09/2017

By: Sean Crose

Canelo Alvarez’ camp took part in a media conference call on Tuesday to promote the upcoming battle for middleweight supremacy between the Mexican superstar and Gennady Golovkin this September. Naturally, that other big fight – if you want to call it a fight – was brought up. You know, the boxing match for people who don’t like boxing? A journalist asked Canelo if he would be willing to take on Conor McGregor should McGregor somehow defeat Floyd Mayweather when they meet later this month. Canelo’s answer was priceless.

“If that miracle was to happen,” he said through a translator, “then it’s a different conversation…but I doubt it (a McGregor victory) very much.” In a summer of wanton immaturity, it was nice for a top fighter to talk like an intelligent adult. Of course Canelo would be open to fighting McGregor should the Irishman prove to be a special case by legitimately besting Mayweather. Yet, like most most true observers whose maturity has risen beyond that of a fifteen year old, Canelo has a hard time seeing that happening. Mayweather-McGregor is a novelty boxing match. Canelo-GGG is what promoter Oscar De La Hoya said on the call was “a real fight,” a “serious fight,” a “serious event.” The difference, frankly, should be noted as often as possible.

“We’re concentrating on our own fight,” De La Hoya claimed, adding that “we sold out in ten days.” It’s true. While tickets for Mayweather-McGregor are having difficulty moving, tickets for Canelo-Golovkin, which will be going down in the same T-Mobile arena Mayweather-McGregor is, promptly sold out in just over a week. It was clear during the call, however, that Canelo believed his focus had best stay on Golovkin, his formidable adversary this coming fall. “It’s going to be a difficult fight,” he stated. “It’s going to be a very hard fight.”

Canelo insisted he’s no longer the young man who Mayweather easily bested in their 2013 megabout. “I’ve definitely learned a lot (since that time),” Canelo said. “I’m more of a mature fighter now.” Even De La Hoya made it clear that Mayweather was too much, too soon for the Canelo of four years past. “Yes,” the legendary fighter/promoter stated, “he did take that fight too soon.” Still, De La Hoya added that Canelo is man on the rise. “I strongly feel he’s only getting better,” De La Hoya said. As for Canelo himself, the man exuded certainty. Referring to Mayweather, he claimed: “I think the only reason he beat me was because of the experience.”

Now, though, Canelo has enormous experience under his belt when it comes to performing under the bright lights of a major fight in Vegas. Not that he feels that alone will give him the upper hand against the feared Golovkin. “Having more fights in Las Vegas is not an advantage,” he said plainly. And least someone is levelheaded out there at the moment.

Posted on 07/25/2017

 

Compiled By: William Holmes

The following is the Boxing Insider notebook for the week of July 18^th to July 25th covering the comings and goings in the sport of boxing that you might have missed.

 

HBO Sports 24/7 Canelo/Golovkin Debuts August 26^th

HBO Sports’ groundbreaking “24/7” reality franchise, which has captured 18 Sports Emmy® Awards, will return for its 23rd multi-part boxing installment with 24/7 CANELO/GOLOVKIN, it was announced today by Rick Bernstein, executive producer, HBO Sports. The two-part behind-the-scenes series follows two elite fighters – Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin – as they prepare for their middleweight championship megafight title showdown Saturday, Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

24/7 CANELO/GOLOVKIN debuts SATURDAY, AUG. 26 (midnight-12:30 a.m. ET/PT), immediately following the previously announced “World Championship Boxing” doubleheader that begins at 9:45 p.m. (ET/PT).

The show will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and affiliate portals.

“The boxing world has eagerly anticipated this middleweight showdown between two of the best fighters and biggest stars in the sport,” said Bernstein. “We now get to present them and their preparations for this long-awaited encounter in the ring.”

Episode two of 24/7 CANELO/GOLOVKIN debuts one week before the high-stakes bout, on Saturday, Sept. 9 (1:00-1:30 a.m. ET/PT), immediately following the “HBO Boxing After Dark” tripleheader that begins at 10:15 p.m. (ET/PT).

24/7 CANELO/GOLOVKIN will provide exclusive behind-the-scenes access, along with in-depth interviews, as the fighters gear up in Southern California for their Las Vegas collision in the ring. Both men rank high on many pound-for-pound lists and have been dominant in the middleweight division.

Canelo Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs), of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, is again holding camp with renowned trainer Eddy Reynoso. The 27-year-old phenom is coming off a dominant victory over fellow countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in May and is on a seven-bout winning streak that has reinforced his elite standing in the middleweight ranks. His drawing power as the sport’s top pay-per-view attraction has been demonstrated both at the box office and in pay-per-view performance.

Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, now living in Los Angeles, is training with the acclaimed Abel Sanchez. The undefeated 35-year-old has compiled an extraordinary knockout-to-win ratio of 89%, while only three of his fights have gone past the eighth round and only one has lasted the full 12 rounds. Golovkin’s dramatic ring style has transformed him into one of the sport’s brightest stars in a few short years and he has sold out arenas from New York to California.

Canelo’s fourth “24/7” appearance and Golovkin’s second, 24/7 CANELO/GOLVKIN is the latest installment of the acclaimed franchise that began in 2007. Among the most-honored sports series on TV, it was called “a masterfully entertaining reality show” by ESPN The Magazine.

“Canelo vs. Golovkin” will take place at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 8:00 p.m. (ET)/5:00 p.m. (PT), and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

The executive producer of 24/7 CANELO/GOLOVKIN is Rick Bernstein; senior producers, Dave Harmon and Bentley Weiner; producers, Harley Glantz, Abtin Motia and Christine Wilt; writer, Aaron Cohen. Liev Schreiber narrates.

Mayweather/McGregor Ticket Market Following Monday’s Online Sale          

The PPV Price is $89.95 for SD or $99.95 for HD. Most experts see this reaching similar buyrate numbers to Mayweather/Pacquiao (4 million+ buys)

Face value of tickets range from $500-$10,000 and went on-sale Monday July 24. However, secondary market tickets are seeing up to a 400% premium on face value and currently range from $2,145-$20,000. POST ON-SALE: After Monday’s on-sale there was an increase of about 7% (36 tickets) listed on the secondary market, bringing the current total to about 500 listed on the secondary market. The 500 tickets available is just 2.5% of T-Mobile Arena’s capacity, so secondary prices aren’t likely to drop significantly between now and the fight.

Average price actually rose from $6,256 on Monday morning to $7,190 (15%) by Monday evening, but the cheapest seat fell from $2,500 to $2,145 (-14%) in the same time frame.(https://www.tiqiq.com/fight/c onor-mcgregor-tickets/conor-mc gregor-vs-floyd-mayweather-jr- -08-26-2017/4035147264396)

If all PPV targets are hit, Mayweather could make $400 million and McGregor $127 million (https://www.forbes.com/sites/ brianmazique/2017/06/16/the-es timated-purses-for-floyd-maywe ather-vs-conor-mcgregor-fight- are-staggering/#47d12d423d00)

Mayweather is favored to win the fight with 1/6 odds, but the most popular bet is currently for McGregor at 11/2 odds. (https://www.oddschecker.com/ boxing/floyd-mayweather-jr-v- conor-mcgregor/winner)

This is by far the most expensive combat sports event we’ve tracked in terms of average price.

Average price for Mayweather/Pacquiao at the same time range (approx. 5 weeks out) was $5,312. So tickets dropped on average 9% leading up to the fight.

Some other notes:

According to Priceline.com, a Vegas 4-Star hotel on the night of the fight will cost a minimum of $135. By comparison, rates are as low as $68 the Saturday beforehand (Aug 19), marking a 98% premium on hotels during fight weekend.

The undercard is currently scheduled to consist of only boxing matches, no MMA.

McGregor is the more active of the two on Social Media, and has over 26 million followers between Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Mayweather’s social media accounts are more geared towards his line of products, yet he eclipses McGregor by over 10 million followers across the same social platforms.

Both McGregor & Mayweather are WWE fans and WWE officials are trying to secure one or both to make an appearance on an episode on WWE Raw in the weeks leading up to the fight. Fun Fact: Floyd Mayweather competed in a semi-main event match at Wrestlemania 24 defeating “The Big Show” Paul Wight by knockout. Wight is billed as 7 feet tall and 383 pounds.

Chivas Fight Club Launches with Boxer Gennady “GGG” Golovkin

Chivas Regal, the world’s first luxury whisky, is aiming to inspire a new generation while making a positive impact on the lives of others by introducing The Chivas® Fight Club. This initiative extends to every individual with a fighting spirit from communities nationwide and is centered on boxing in partnership with Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. Gennady is boxing’s unified WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO middleweight champion of the world, who personifies the Chivas spirit of shared success and dedication, both in and out of the ring.

“This movement is special to Chivas as it brings to life our core values, embracing the mixture of cultures and importance of shared success, as every person has a unique battle they fight with passion, gloves on and off,” said Shefali Murdia, Brand Director for Chivas Regal, Pernod Ricard USA. “Like the Chivas brothers, Gennady comes from humble beginnings and has allowed his dreams to push him to where he is today, all while staying true to his values and Winning the Right Way.”

The Kazakhstan-born fighter began his boxing career at an early age and immediately demonstrated his diligent work ethic, representing his home country at the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he won a middleweight silver medal. The fighter now boasts the top knockout ratio in middleweight championship history, an impressive 89.8 percent. Golovkin enters the ring as the face of The Chivas® Fight Club campaign, a nationwide effort promoting the unique fighter within every individual, offering exclusive access to activities, events and content for those who enter

“The Chivas Fight Club stands for the things that I believe in and represents the heart and soul of the fighter in all of us,” Golovkin said. “When I wrap my hands, I do it for my family. I owe my courage to them and also my success. That’s why I fight.”

All consumers and fans are invited to join The Chivas® Fight Club by sharing what they are fighting for by using the hashtag #FightForIt on social media. Those who join the club will be entered into sweepstakes for a chance to see Golovkin’s upcoming bout on September 16th against Canelo Alvarez, and gain exclusive entry into watch parties and boxing workout classes. Chivas® Fight Club members will also receive inspiration to “Fight for It” with exclusive boxing content, interviews, videos, behind-the-scenes photos, calendar of upcoming Chivas Regal boxing events, and more. Additional program incentives will continue to be rolled out following the campaign launch.

For more information on the Chivas Fight Club and Chivas Regal visit www.ChivasFightClub.com.

All British Quarter Final Clash for Muhammad Ali Trophy Between WBA World Champion Groves and Cox at the SSE Arena, Wembley on October 14^th in London

The first domestic showdown of the World Boxing Super Series is scheduled for October 14th when top seeded super middleweight George Groves (26-3, 19 KOs) puts his WBA World title on the line against his undefeated countryman Jamie Cox (23-0, 13 KOs) in a ‘Battle of Britain’ at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London, United Kingdom.

Groves, the 29 year-old from Hammersmith, London, claimed the WBA strap with a sensational sixth-round stoppage victory over Fedor Chudinov on May 27th at Bramall Lane in Sheffield, and will make his maiden defence in this quarter-final clash with Cox, whom the ‘Saint’ selected as his first round opponent at the live Draft Gala on July 8th at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.

‘‘I’m really looking forward to getting started,’’ said Groves. ‘’It’s great to have a date set so early to give you something to strive for. I’m already in the gym plugging away and I’ve got plenty of time to prepare. The SSE Arena, Wembley Arena has always been a happy hunting ground for me. I‘ve had many good nights there, and I’m looking forward to fighting there again on October 14th. It’s my first World title defence, my first fight in the World Boxing Super Series, an all-British affair and hopefully something everyone is going to be excited about.

‘’I’m happy with my choice of opponent. I know there are no easy fights in this tournament and there are no easy fights at World level, but Jamie is the guy I know the most about. I know about his background, I know how he trains, I know who he trains with, but most importantly, I know the things you need in this tournament, such as composure and experience at the highest level, he’s lacking. I’ve got them in abundance, but he’s brand new, he’s a total novice. I don’t think he’s even headlined his own show yet and he’s getting flung in the deep end with me. This is a big pressure fight for him and I think he’ll struggle to cope.’’

Looking to secure his semi-final spot, Cox, the unbeaten 30 year-old contender from Swindon, Wiltshire, is confident he can dethrone his domestic rival and move a step closer to claiming The Greatest Prize in boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy.

‘’I’m really excited for this fight,’’ said the 30 year-old southpaw. ‘’To win a World title on the way to fighting for the Muhammad Ali Trophy would be a huge honour. I’m glad George picked me. I was prepared for anyone but I was hoping for a UK fight so I can’t wait. George is a tough opponent. He has some good attributes but I’m prepared to shock everyone. This is what I’ve been working towards all my career, and to be a part of something this big is amazing. Now I’m here, I’m ready to capitalise on it and win my first World title and progress to the semi-finals.’’

Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa´s Head of Management Board, believes the World Boxing Super Series has delivered on its pledge of bringing together the best boxers in the world, and is expecting a memorable fight on October 14th. ‘’The World Boxing Super Series promised to pit the best against the best, and I believe we he have delivered on that promise,’’ said Dalmiglio. ‘’All our quarter-final fights are stacked with talent, and George Groves versus Jamie Cox is no exception. The SSE Arena, Wembley will play host to a fantastic night of boxing.”

Comosa`s Chief Boxing Officer, Kalle Sauerland is predicting a fan friendly affair from the domestic foes. ‘’This is a going to be a great fight for the fans,’’ said Sauerland. ‘’Domestic dust ups always bring with them an added excitement and intensity, and here, we have a British World Champion against an undefeated British challenger, it doesn’t get any better than that!’’

In the World Boxing Super Series, 16 elite fighters – eight super-middleweights and eight cruiserweights – will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament. In both divisions, there will be four quarter-finals (September / October 2017), two semi-finals (early 2018) and one final (May 2018), making for a total of 14 high-class fights.

Ticket details for the World Boxing Super Series’ quarter-final bout between George Groves and Jamie Cox on October 14th at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London will be announced shortly.

WBC Champion Nikki Adler Hard at Work to Defend Her Belt Against Claressa Shields on ShoBox

German WBC Super Middleweight World Champion Nikki Adler is hard at work for her Friday, August 4 title defense against two-time Olympic Gold Medalist Claressa “T-Rex” Shields.

Adler (16-0, 9 KOs) will make the third defense of her WBC 168-pound title, and try to add the IBF Super Middleweight belt to her collection, against Flint, Michigan’s Shields (3-0, 1 KO) in the 10-round main event of Salita Promotions’ “BATTLE OF THE BEST” event at MGM Grand Detroit and Televised live on ShoBox: The New Generation (10;30 p.m. ET/PT)

In the night’s televised co-main, junior welterweight KO artist Bakhtiyar “Bakha Bullet” Eyubov (13-0, 11 KOs) will face undefeated prospect Sonny “Pretty Boi” Fredrickson (17-0, 11 KOs) over 10-rounds and to open the telecast, world-ranked super bantamweight Vladimir Tikhonov (16-0, 9 KOs) of Russia will face Texas slugger Jesse Angel Hernandez (8-1, 6 KOs) over eight rounds.

Tickets for the event promoted by Salita Promotions are on sale now and are priced at $350, $250, $125 and $60. They will be available at www.ticketmaster.com.

Adler says the only adjustment to fighting in the North America for the first time is to improve her English. And if she’s concerned about facing Shields, the only American to capture back-to-back boxing gold medals at the Olympic Games, she’s not showing it. She hasn’t even watched tape of Shields’ meteoric three-fight professional career. In fact, Adler and trainer Rene Friese are asking Americans not to take it personally when their hero falters against her.

How is training going?

It is going great! I work hard and I am very focused. My trainer is very satisfied with me and my progress. We entered training camp a few weeks ago, already had great tough sparring and I will be very well prepared to defend what’s mine: the green belt.

Did you prepare any differently for this fight compared to your others?

Yes, but it has nothing to do with Claressa. At the beginning of the year, I changed my trainer who brought me and my boxing skills to a new incredible level. I am better, faster and stronger. This feels amazing!

What do you think of Shields as a fighter?

To be honest, I’ve never watched her fight, but I am sure Claressa is a fighter from the bottom of her heart. So am I. This will create magic moments on August 4.

Does it make any difference to fight in North America for the first time?

Yes, because I need to improve my English. I speak German and Croatian fluently and will do my very best to thank Claressa personally for a great fight and to tell her without any translator that she can be proud that she took the challenge and one day she will be a champion too – maybe at middleweight.

What would a victory over Claressa Shields mean to you?

17-0

How do you feel about the recent resurgence of women’s boxing?

Our fight announcement rocked the media, the fans and lot of other boxers who want to be a part of the event. It is great to see and it will get better. But, just a warning, America needs to be strong when I take my belts back home to Germany. I said it once before and I will say it again and again: The higher the quality, the more attractive is the fight for the fans. The state of woman’s boxing needs tough woman like Claressa and me who are not afraid of a challenge.

How does it feel to be fighting on Showtime and in front of the world?

It is the biggest woman’s boxing fight in 2017. Winning is the only thing I’m concerned with.

What can the fans in Detroit and on television expect to see from you?

Fans will see a fit fighter, they can expect a tough puncher and, finally, a dominating reigning champion.

Showtime Sports to Present Three Seperate Live Boxing Presentations on July 29th

SHOWTIME Sports will offer three separate boxing presentations on Saturday, July 29, delivering two digital live streams preceding the evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING televised doubleheader. The digital-only offerings will be available on Facebook Live and YouTube prior to the live SHOWTIME® telecast at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, as the network continues its unrivaled commitment to boxing.

The full day of high-stakes boxing will begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT with streaming coverage from Belfast, Ireland as 2016 Fighter of the Year Carl Frampton makes his long-awaited homecoming. The former two-division titlist Frampton (23-1, 14 KOs) will face once-beaten Andres Gutierrez (35-1-1, 25 KOs) in a 12-round featherweight bout, his first since splitting a par of slugfests with three-division world titlist Leo Santa Cruz. Coverage of Frampton vs. Gutierrez will be provided by Channel 5, a television station in Northern Ireland.

SHOWTIME Sports will then deliver live coverage from Barclays Center in Brooklyn beginning at 7:15 p.m. ET/4:15 p.m. PT with “SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Prelims”. The two-fight live stream will feature former world title challenger Gerald Washington (18-1-1, 12 KOs) against Brooklyn native Jarrell Miller (18-0-1, 16 KOs), plus the U.S. debut of female boxing star and Irish Olympic Gold Medalist Katie Taylor (5-0, 3 KOs). Hall of Famer Barry Tompkins will call the live streaming fights from Brooklyn alongside former world champion Daniel Jacobs.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Prelims and Frampton vs. Gutierrez will be available to U.S. audiences only.

The July 29 SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast is headlined by a blockbuster matchup between two of boxing’s biggest stars as three-division world champion Mikey Garcia moves up to 140 pounds to face four-division champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner. Televised coverage begins live on SHOWTIME at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT as unbeaten former world champion Jermall Charlo returns to face Jorge Sebastian Heiland in a middleweight world title eliminator. The event is presented by Premier Boxing Champions from Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Prelims is an extension of SHOWTIME BOXING on SHOWTIME EXTREME, which is the first premium television series to offer live undercard coverage. Both offerings provide bonus bouts to viewers at home, delivering an experience that was previously available only to fans in arena. Via SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Prelims, viewers are afforded the unique opportunity to interact with the boxing community during the event in real time.

SHOWTIME Sports also will live stream the Broner vs. Garcia final press conference on Thursday and the official weigh-in on Friday across digital platforms, including Facebook Live and YouTube.

 

Posted on 07/22/2017

Canelo Alvarez – A Serious Professional In Less Than Serious Times
By: Sean Crose

Canelo Alvarez has begun training camp for his most difficult challenge to date. Oh, his 2013 battle with the iconic Floyd Mayweather may have been an herculean task, but Mayweather, masterful though he may be, has never been known to inflict physical damage – at least not the kind of physical damage middleweight honcho Gennady Golovkin is known for dispensing. And so, with a September 16th date lined up for him to do battle with the Kazakh terror, Canelo is prepping for the fight of his life. Yet the Mexican star’s fight for recognition has never been an easy one. Indeed, potholes have perpetually kept popping up in the man’s path.

For, although Canelo is enormously popular in his native Mexico, large swaths of the American public – and presumably the global public, as well – aren’t particularly familiar with who the guy is. Oh, Canelo’s name may ring a bell, but it is certainly not a household name…not like Mayweather’s. Or Manny Pacquiao’s. Or even another red haired fighter ‘s – Conor McGregor’s. No, Canelo’s is a name for the purists. Sure enough, the UFC’s McGregor has – along with former foe Mayweather – taken much of the energy out of Canelo’s upcoming throwdown with Golovkin. This is a shame, of course, as Canelo-Golovkin is a true superfight, while Mayweather-McGregor is the sporting world’s equivalent of cotton candy.

Still, people like crap. No, they love crap. And so, Canelo-Golovkin, which might have actually enticed the general public at large, is now relegated to the margins while people gorge themselves delightedly on a fight which frankly should never have been made to begin with. In truth, though, it might actually all be for the best. For it appears people want personality over competition. In other words, Floyd and Conor ,whose personalities are as large as they come, may literally be incapable of letting the public down when they meet on August 26th. People won’t be paying to see a fight, after all. They’ll be paying to see Floyd and Conor and not much else.

Canelo and Golovkin, on the other hand, have only craftsmanship to offer. Neither one speaks English well and both seem like nice guys. Add in the fact that they both take the sport of boxing respectfully and seriously and it’s easy to see why most wouldn’t be interested in their wares. It’s like offering vegetables at a donut festival. No matter how good those vegetables may taste – no one’s going near them. Except of course, for the health nuts. And really, that’s what we hard core boxing fans are these days – health nuts wandering aimlessly about an endless donut festival, where there’s always room for another one or two more dozen crullers.

Therefore, Canelo sits on the margins with those of us who follow him, too much of a grownup to be loved, not enough of a clown to be adored, but respected enough by people whose respect – if I do say so myself – is worth earning. This is a shame, of course, for the man looked as if he were ready to take up the mantle of boxing’s biggest star after the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight finally faded from memory. Unfortunately, however, that was simply not to be the case.

Such things happen when you’re a serious professional living in less than serious times.

Posted on 07/20/2017

By: Francisco Martinez

September 16th Gennady Golovkin is set to meet Saul Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile arena. A fight 2 years in the making. A fight announced right after Canelo’s shutout of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a masterful performance not enjoyed to long by Canelo as his next opponent was brought to the ring there and then. To the surprise of many the fight we’ve all been asking for finally materialized. Canelo vs Golovkin is suppose to be the fight that proves what Canelo truly is capable of and the fight that proves is Golovkin the bogey man they make him out to be.

With a combined record of 86 victories and 67 knockouts Canelo & Golovkin is almost a certain knockout ending. How do both fighters feel in regards to those expectations “It’s going to be a tough fight, a fight with a lot of action but I’ll make it clear as to who is the better man” expresses Canelo a conservative prediction as does Golovkin “I’m a professional athlete and for me it’s very interesting to see who’s better. Not special but who’s the better athlete, who’s the better boxer” states Golovkin.

If we look back into this fight and dig a little more we’ll find that Canelo & Golovkin have shared the ring before as both careers took off. In a sparring session that took place about 6 years ago or so at the Summit Boxing gym in Big Bear, California owned by Golovkin’s trainer, 2015 BWAA Trainer Of The Year, Abel Sanchez. The man responsible for Golovkin’s Mexican Style inside the ring. As for the sparring session a lot has circulated around the media and gym talk as to what actually happened but both fighters had this to say about their now legendary sparring session

“That happened about 6 years ago more or less. He has advanced, I have advanced. It can help a little bit but I won’t focus on it as we’ve both have totally advanced and sparring can’t influence a fight it’s way too different. It’ll be a good fight a fight the people have been wanting. It’ll be a good fight. We’ll be ready” says Canelo of the 6 year old sparring session. Gennady Golovkin had this to say about the past sparring session

“It was 6 years ago it’s a different time right now. It was sparring and it’s different. Sparring and fighting. It’s sparring not fighting” says Gennady Golovkin with a similar tone as Canelo to the past sparring between both. Canelo was just making his transition into 154lbs class and Golovkin was already a full fledged 160lbs fighter so the sparring can be taken with a grain of salt aside from what rumors might say took place within the sparring at the time.

About 21 days before Canelo & Gennady Golovkin are set to face each other another big fight will take place. The return of Floyd Mayweather in the same place and venue. A fight some critics think might affect Canelo & Golovkin’s revenue and possibly a strategic move by Mayweather. Arguably the best boxer ever, surely the best of our time and also known as one of the best business minds in boxing as well.

Golden Boy promotion’s Oscar De La Hoya is not concerned with Mayweather & McGregor taking place a couple of weeks prior to Canelo & Golovkin neither is K2 promotion’s Tom Loeffler “I figured they would make the fight I wasn’t sure when they would do it. It surprised us they would go before on August. You know August people are in still in vacation and you know that’s two big names that they have so they probably figured they can go when they wanted to and were gonna focus on our end to promote ours the best that we can and I’m sure that Floyd and Conor are gonna promote their event and I think that’s one of those fights that the build up would be more exciting than the fight itself but we’re gonna do the best we can on our end”

Floyd Mayweather gave his prediction to Canelo vs Golovkin late last year and he predicted Canelo would knockout Golovkin also went as far as to say he would beat Golovkin. Gennady had this to say about Mayweather’s recent comments “He talks too much. I think he’s not a promoter, he’s not Canelo’s promoter. I don’t know why? Ask him why?” Replied Golovkin to Mayweather’s comments.

Two mega fights that will take place withing a month of each other can only benefit boxing although some would disagree others would say it’s what boxing needs at this point in time in a year that has been one to remember boxing wise. This September 16th Supremacy in the middleweight division is what we’ll get once Canelo & Gennady Golovkin step into the ring in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena live on HBO PPV.

So don’t miss it and follow the conversation and converage leading up to fight night via #CaneloGGG

Posted on 07/07/2017

Canelo-GGG Sell Out T-Mobile Arena
By: Sean Crose

In what should come as a surprise to absolutely no one, the much anticipated fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin has sold out the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Still, the fact that the host location sold out in what was essentially a matter of days is impressive. As Lance Pugmire of the LA Times states: “The sellout comes even before promoters have announced their co-main event and undercard, with lightweight champion Jorge Linares a possible participant.” Such details are telling. One could only imagine the size of the live crowd had the fight taken place at AT@T Stadium near Dallas, as many had hoped it would.

No matter. The September 16th twelve round middleweight bout between the 37-0 Kazakh and the 49-1-1 Mexican superstar is set to go down in the “Mecca of Boxing” and nothing can change that now. Vegas is where the money is, and Canelo-GGG has already proven itself to be a big money affair, with ticket prices ranging into the thousands and many willing to pay into the better half of one hundred dollars to watch the festivities live on pay per view. “The boxing public fully understands that this is the biggest fight in many years,” gushed Oscar De La Hoya, who clearly had reason to be happy.

What makes today’s news positive for die hard fight fans is it shows the September 16th event is not going to be overwhelmed entirely by the Mayweather-McGregor circus a few weeks earlier – though that might well be something Mayweather himself wishes would happen. While the circus may indeed take a lot of air out of the room, it’s not going to take all of it. In fact, right now it’s looking like there’s two major happenings on the horizon: The Most Interesting Fight In Boxing and the Pop Culture Event Of The Summer.

The Pop Culture extravaganza will come first, absorbing tons of mainstream media, fan boy and general societal attention before the Interesting Fight arrives. This may mean the Interesting Fight won’t get the attention and energy it might have had two possible narcissists not decided to perform a surreal duet in the public spotlight. Yet things are looking good for Canelo-GGG, regardless. Those who prefer good boxing to oversize personalities – and the numbers of such people are legion – are clearly looking forward to a top level event after the headache of August 26th subsides.

Posted on 06/29/2017

Just How Big Will Canelo-GGG Be?
By: Sean Crose

People were all kinds of excited when news was announced that Canelo Alvarez would finally be facing middleweight terror Gennady Golovkin in the ring. Not only was it THE fight serious boxing fans wanted to see, but the bout had the potential to cross the margins and make its way into the mainstream consciousness, where boxing rarely sees the light of day. There was a lot to look forward to that night in a Las Vegas ring, when Canelo, after easily beating Julio Caesar Chavez Jr, made it clear he and GGG would finally be getting it on. Boxing, much on the upswing in 2017, would have a bright shining object to show the world when middleweight supremacy was battled for in September.

Unfortunately, another bright, shining object, nothing more than a trinket, really, seems to have taken all the mainstream potential Canelo-GGG may have promised. That particular object, which is honestly not worth mentioning, is said to be an affront to what is essentially the best bout in boxing. It may well be. But boxing fans shouldn’t care. For the truth is that Canelo and Golovkin were never going to break records when they met in Vegas. This was a one-to-two million buy pay per view event, at most. Enormous to be sure, but nowhere near groundbreaking.

So don’t get too upset. Sure, the circus has pushed Canelo-GGG back to the margins. Yet it’s a pretty well-known fact that Canelo has an enormous Mexican fan base behind him that’s VERY interested in his bout with Golovkin. Let’s also not forget about the serious fight fans who won’t be wasting money on a circus but, rather, will be gladly coughing up money for Canelo-GGG. Here’s something else worth considering – boxing, with our without the circus everyone is talking about – is in a VERY good place. Canelo got good PPV numbers for beating a guy few expected to win last time out. Anthony Joshua beat Wladimir Klitschko in front of close to one hundred thousand people in London. The Keith Thurman-Danny Garcia battle owned the night when it appears on network television. Things are going strong.

And as long as fights like Canelo-GGG are made, the sport will continue to prosper. A pop culture event can’t beat steady growth when it comes to the health of boxing. Circuses come and go. Great fights are timeless. Canelo-GGG will do excellent business in September. And if the fight is good, things will continue looking up for the sport.

Posted on 06/05/2017

Canelo-GGG Will Go Down At T-Mobile Arena In Vegas
By: Sean Crose

Many people wanted the September 16th Canelo-Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin superfight to happen in Texas, at the AT&T arena, home of the famed Dallas Cowboys. Of course, fight fans had a right to want to see the fight there. AT&T is a location that might actually be able to fit a record setting crowd. And, after this past spring’s Anthony Joshua-Wladimir Klitscko war in front of 90,000 people in England, fans could only be expected to hope for the same kind of explosive atmosphere back here in the states. Canelo-GGG is the biggest legitimate fight in boxing, after all. What’s more, the sport has been on the uptick in a big way. Why not continue to ride the wave by letting the world see just how big boxing can be in America in 2017?

Unfortunately, for those hoping for a thrilling Texas night, Oscar De La Hoya announced on ESPN today that Canelo-GGG will, in fact, be happening at the T Mobile Arena in Vegas. Once again, Sin City will host the sport’s biggest match. So much for reasonably priced tickets. So much for an event exclusively of and for the fans. Still, it would be unfair to bash De La Hoya or Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler for this. Boxing, as we’re forever reminded, is a business, after all. As long as the big fights are being made, fans can only complain so much. None of that is to say that the AT@T arena’s Jerry Jones didn’t work hard to make the fight go down in the same building where his Cowboy’s play. Ultimately, though, the allure of Vegas proved to be too strong.

“The city’s ability to attract high-rolling gamblers helped it bankroll the unrevealed site fee,” wrote the LA Times’ Lance Pugmire. What’s more, De La Hoya made it clear that Vegas is a party town and that there’s a lot more to a big fight than the big fight itself. Surprisingly enough, Vegas has, until now, not hosted Golovkin, perhaps the most feared individual in all of combat sports today, in a high level match. Canelo, on the other hand, can be seen as a Vegas regular, as he’s fought in major bouts in the city on numerous occasions – most famously against Floyd Mayweather in 2013.

Speaking of Mayweather, it’s been mentioned that perhaps Floyd’s interest in fighting MMA star Conor McGregor in a boxing match may have had some impact on the decided location for Canelo-GGG. De La Hoya and Loeffler, after all, wouldn’t want Floyd fighting in Vegas around the same time their own major event was going down.

Posted on 05/10/2017

The Financial Factor: Canelo vs. Triple G
By: Kirk Jackson

Now that we finally have the fight boxing fans have craved over the last year or so, there’s much to discuss leading up to the event featuring Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin 37-0 (33 KO’s) and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez 49-1-1(34 KO’s).

An interesting element is the financial factor behind the scenes in build up to this fight.

Alvarez is regarded and marketed as the biggest star in boxing; the heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather in what Alvarez himself states as the “Canelo era.”

Golovkin is certainly advertised as boxing’s “Boogeyman” and resident “A-side,” having sold out arenas such as Madison Square Garden in New York and the O2 Arena in London.

Unfortunately, his pay-per-view numbers do not reflect that.

Nonetheless, you would think two stars garnering this much celebrity would warrant higher fight purses right?

Taking a look at recent purses for each fighter:

Alvarez vs. Cotto = minimum purse $5 million
Alvarez vs. Khan = minimum purse $3.5 million
Alvarez vs. Mayweather = minimum purse $5 million
Alvarez vs. Chavez Jr. = minimum purse $5 million

Golovkin vs. Jacobs = minimum purse $2.5 million
Golovkin vs. Brook = minimum purse $5 million
Golovkin vs. Lemieux = minimum purse $2 million

The purses do not reflect additional income earned from each fight. For example, with Alvarez’s fight against Cotto, he received 25% of the $20 million split. Most of the money Alvarez earned for that fight came with the pay-per-view percentages and with his TV deal with the Azteca network.

Alvarez is also sponsored by Tecate, Under Armour and a few other companies. In addition to his television deals, he earns money each fight with his sponsors.

The same can be said for Golovkin. In the two pay-per-view fights he participated in, it’s presumed he was the A-side and gained a favorable split of the purse and pay-per-view percentages.

Albeit, he lacks the same quality dance partners as Alvarez, we can assume he earned a decent chunk of change aside from his guaranteed purse just to show up.

Golovkin is also sponsored by the Jordan brand, among other sponsors and reels in additional funds per fight.

All of these factors into the determination of the purse split, the question is of how much will each fighter earn for this mega fight?

Because based on the WWE-themed entrance from Golovkin – post Alvarez’s sparring session with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. this past weekend, it’s obvious the fight between Golovkin and Alvarez was agreed to sometime prior.

Based on each fighter’s purse history, the popularity of Alvarez, his history of pay-per-view success and the demand to see him against Golovkin’s punching power; each fighter should be compensated quite well.

The venue and site for this blockbuster fight is yet to be determined, but this event will probably take place in boxing’s fight capital Las Vegas.

Although something to consider as Golden Boy Promotions, K2 Promotions and HBO figures out is which site can harvest the most money?

Regarding purses, remember when Golden Boy offered Golovkin a purse of $15 million to fight Alvarez?

“I made an eight-figure offer,” said Golden Boy Promoter Oscar De La Hoya. “ I believe it’s an offer that was two, three, four times what he’s ever made and haven’t heard back. And that’s the bottom line.”
Golden Boy’s offer is speculative, but there was no denial from the Golovkin camp regarding the offer. It’d be farfetched to believe that initial offer was still on the table.

Regarding purse split/fighter compensation, Alvarez is the A-side. He has the greater profile, the aforementioned bigger fights and generated larger gates and pay-per-view numbers.

Prior to the fight officially being announced, De La Hoya has been adamant his fighter is the A-side in this matchup and indicated to the LA Times’ Lance Pugmire, that he holds leverage regarding the fight with Golovkin based off of his lack of pay-per-view success.

“Because when Triple G [Golovkin] and Jacobs does between 100,000 and 200,000 homes, it’s a big risk for me to put up a lot of money up front,” De La Hoya said. “So if we want to make this fight happen, we have to work with each other. It all depends on the pay-per-view and that’s the risk we all have to take.”

“People talk about Golovkin being this big superstar. Why is he selling only between 100,000 and 200,000 homes?” De La Hoya asked. “He’s no Canelo [Alvarez], that’s for sure.”

Golovkin is not Alvarez in regards to drawing power, but he is the long time reigning middleweight champion. All he really needs is the golden opportunity he’s been seeking his entire professional career.

In that sense, the financial split doesn’t matter as much. If Golovkin plans on fighting after the Alvarez match-up and wants to become boxing’s No. 1 draw, it may be proposed that he must defeat the A-side to truly become the A-side.

The greatest thing regarding this fight and the financial effect is the positive spotlight it puts on boxing.

Barring a potential Floyd Mayweather vs. ConorMcGregor match-up, this will be the biggest bout in boxing and will generate the most money this year.

For all the numbers and records amassed with Anthony Joshua vs. WladimirKlitschko; pay-per-view record inthe United Kingdom, while breaking the attendance record at Wembley Stadium with approximately 90,000 people.

659,000 viewers on Showtime; Nielsen reported that the fight peaked between rounds five and six with 687,000 viewers, beating a record for Showtime afternoon fight ratings,along with the successful broadcast across HBO, watched by an average of 738,000 viewers and peaked at 890,000.

The Alvarez vs. Golovkin fight can surpass viewership and pay-per-view numbers of the Joshua/Klitschko fight, if not the attendance numbers.

Cotto vs. Alvarez generated 900,000 buys, approximately $58 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue and HBO is hoping it can top that in September.
We’ll see if the Mexican-style “Drama show” produces the big bucks.

Posted on 03/24/2017

Overweight Jacobs Should Fess Up and Quit Crying After Loss!
By: Ken Hissner

On March 17th Gennady “GGG’ Golovkin, 36-0 (33), got on the scale and it was 159¾ while Danny “Miracle Man” Jacobs, 32-1 (29), stepped on the same scale and it was 159½.

Golovkin was defending his WBA, WBC and IBF titles while Jacobs was the WBA World champion. The following day Jacobs failed to show up and meet the IBF rules of a day of the fight weigh-in to keep the weight differences at a maximum ten pounds. Golovkin got on the scales and it was 170 pounds. If Jacobs got up the day of the weigh-in and was 180 pounds he would still have a ten pound advantage in the fight. He obviously was over 180 and possibly as much as 185 and forfeited fighting for the IBF title and possibly having the entire fight cancelled. You know Jacobs got on a scale Saturday morning in order to decide not to show up for a second weigh-in or he would not have skipped Saturday’s weigh-in.

The fight itself lived up to the hype and then some. Jacobs fought well above what was expected which may have given a false opinion for many. In the fourth round Jacobs went down which can be considered the difference of winning and losing at the end.

Judge Max DeLuca scored it 114-113 while judges Don Trella and Steve Weisfeld scored it 115-112 as did this writer. DeLuca gave both fighters 6 rounds each while Trella and Weisfeld 7 rounds to Golovkin and 5 to Jacobs. Though listed as having a 1” advantage in height Golovkin had to look up to Jacobs who obviously had at least a 3” advantage in height.

The way the scoring broke down was as the following:

Golovkin took rounds 1, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9. Jacobs rounds 2, 6, 7, 10, 11 and 12. Each fighter took 6 rounds apiece but the fourth round was the difference when Golovkin scored the lone knockdown of the fight to take a 10-8 round. Four of the twelve rounds were 2-1 to the winner. Those were Golovkin in the third, Jacobs in the second, seventh and twelfth rounds.

Golovkin keeps his WBA, WBC and IBF titles and improves to 37-0 with 33 knockouts. He is 34. Jacobs drops to 32-2 with 29 knockouts. He is 30. Golovkin made 17 WBA super world defenses, 3 IBF defenses and 1 WBC defense while Jacobs made 4 defenses. Golovkin has been a professional for 11 years and Jacobs 10 years.

Golovkin’s manager Tom Loeffler stated the next defense will be in June in KAZ. Their hope is WBO champion southpaw Billy Joe Saunders, 24-0 (12), from the UK with 1 defense will back up his mouth and put his signature on a contract with all 4 titles on the line.

Golovkin has a tentative September date with WBC super welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 48-1-1 (34), who must defeat Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., 50-2-1 (32), on May 6th with a 164½ weight limit. Alvarez has 7 defenses. He has never weighed more than 155 pounds.

Chavez was WBC World middleweight champion and had 3 defenses. His last 5 fights have been at super middleweight with a 172½ high. In his last fight in December of 2016 he came in at 168.

Posted on 12/27/2016

Playing Favorites – The WBO Shows Its Love For Canelo Alvarez
By: Sean Crose

The World Boxing Organization’s middleweight champ, Billy Joe Saunders, may not be happy about it, but the sanctioning body has named one Canelo Alvarez as his mandatory opponent. That means Saunders is going to have to face Canelo if Saunders wants to hold on to the WBO title – provided, of course, that Canelo is himself is interested in the fight. Since Golden Boy, Canelo’s promoter, asked the WBO for the mandatory ranking, however, it appears that Canelo may indeed be zeroing in on a potential throwdown with Saunders. Or at least zeroing in on the WBO title.

Let’s face it, Saunders has done nothing concrete since winning his belt off Andy Lee late last year to show that he wishes to challenge himself. By seeming to have shied away from matches with middleweight terror Gennady Golovkin and/or Canelo himself, Saunders has placed himself in a position where he is simply not well regarded. Worse still for the Englishman, he appeared far from stellar when he faced off against an opponent no one had ever heard of, one Artur Akavov, earlier this month. Such things do not make for good public relations.

Frankly, it appears as if the WBO might well prefer having red haired star Canelo holding on to its middleweight strap. After all, the sanctioning body let Canelo jump in front of the deserving but unknown Avtandil Khurtsidze, it’s number one contender, in order for Canelo to be next in line for Saunders. And while it’s true Khurtsidze can appeal to the organization regarding its ruling, the WBO has been brazenly open in admitting it’s played favorites here. Indeed, the organization has come right out and essentially said it chose Canelo as Saunders’ top mandatory simply because of the Mexican’s popularity. Make no mistake about it, the WBO wants big names.

The question now, of course, may well be how Saunders reacts to all this. While it’s true no one person can be defined by sound bites or Twitter rants, Saunders has at times presented himself as the most modern of modern fighters, the epitome of the low-risk athlete that has arguably made the sport even more marginalized than its previously been. So then, will Saunders drag things out as long as possible? Will be plead for postponement of the inevitable? Will he simply give up his hard earned crown? Or will he show the world that a fight with Canelo is actually all right by him?

Of course, there are those who are claiming Canelo wants a middleweight title to use as leverage against Golovkin. That’s a bit confusing, since Canelo is already clearly the A-side in any potential promotion between the two. Perhaps team Canelo feels that it can put GGG in a corner by holding all the cards – in other words, a big money fight AND one of the belts Golovkin craves. That seems rather silly, but like most fans, I don’t deal in untold millions of dollars, so, by and large, potential game playing (in this case, at least) comes off like a moot point at best to me. I just want to see fights that make the most competitive sense.

And, in this case, believe it or not, one of those fights is Saunders-Khurtsidze. While Saunders-Canelo is certainly intriguing and clarifying, Khurtsidze should get first crack (whether the WBO or its rules agree or not). Boxing, after all, is not a popularity contest. Scratch that – boxing IS a popularity contest. That doesn’t mean it should be, though.

Posted on 12/01/2016

Canelo’s Camp Asserts It Wants GGG Fight In September
By: Sean Crose

According to ESPN’s Dan Rafael, Golden Boy Promotions, which represents Mexican star Canelo Alvarez, does indeed want Canelo to face feared middleweight terror Gennady Golovkin in September of 2017. “Hopefully,” Rafael quotes Golden Boy big shot Eric Gomez as saying, “everything goes well and then we get the Golovkin fight done for September.” While there’s no guarantee to be found in Gomez’ words, they do express an eagerness to make the fight fans want to see happen. In other words, there’s no hemming and hawing, no “we’ll see” or advocating for marination to be found.

Truth be told, a bout between the 48-1-1 Canelo and the 36-0 Golovkin for middleweight supremacy should have happened in 2016. Canelo, however, literally gave up his WBC middleweight title rather than face the man. The action did incredible harm to Canelo’s reputation. In short, people were rightfully upset. Still, as I wrote earlier, some of us have come around to the belief that Canelo is too much of a warrior to ultimately let the chance to face an unaged Golovkin pass by. That sort of thing just doesn’t seem in keeping with the guy’s nature.

In the meantime, it seems that team Canelo looks to get their man back in the ring early next year. Canelo was supposed to fight this month, but those plans had to be scratched due to a hand injury. Sure enough, Rafael’s article makes it clear that Golden Boy is wondering if Canelo can emerge in the ring up to three times in 2017. Add a date in May – between a winter match and the hoped for September clash with GGG – and Canelo’s schedule will prove to be a packed one for a contemporary fighter who is also a legitimate star.

As for GGG, it’s more of the same – at least for the time being – as the people behind hard hitting Daniel Jacobs appeared until just recently to be dragging their heels regarding a matchup between the two men. It was hoped that a Golovkin-Jacobs bout would go down late in 2016, but functional practices are foreign to the sport of boxing, and so that fight may still be in limbo. As is Golovkin’s career, it seems. For no top names at middleweight have proven ready, willing and able to face him. A Canelo bout is far from signed, the proposed Jacob’s fight appears to be going at a snail’s pace, if at all, and titlist Billy Joe Saunders has literally ceased to be taken seriously as a fighter in some, perhaps many, quarters.

Which, of course, leads people to ask when Golovkin will actually get to challenge himself. September is looking good, but earlier bouts with Jacobs and/or perhaps even Andy Lee would certainly prove to be interesting. In the meantime, Canelo looks to be keeping his schedule full, no doubt keeping in mind that all roads may now be leading to a certain Kazakh.

Posted on 09/30/2016

GGG-Jacobs? It May Just Happen This December
By: Sean Crose

“I understand my situation,” Gennady Golovkin told me some time ago, before his match with Daniel Geale. Since then, the man has become less patient, and with good reason. Still, it seems like now a big name middleweight will finally be willing to get in the ring with the feared GGG. For word is out that Golovkin may get it on with Brooklyn’s Daniel Jacobs, a hard hitting, exciting slugger who holds the WBA middleweight world title (Golovkin is WBAs super world middleweight champion, but let’s not get hung up on the silly details) this December.

The truth is that HBO, which would air the bout, is going through some money woes – at least as its boxing broadcasts are concerned – so it hasn’t been able to air as many fights as it usually does. The injury Canelo Alvarez received fighting Liam Smith recently, however, means Canelo won’t be fighting again this year on HBO as planned. Hence talk of this potential middleweight unification. Should the fight be made, it will likely go down December 10th at Madison Square Garden in New York. After what will be a slow October for boxing, the more good news there is for fight fans, the better.

Golovkin, as most fight followers know, is the most avoided man in boxing with the possible exception of Guillermo Rigondeaux. Sure enough, men like fellow middleweight titlist Billy Joe Saunders have openly admitted to being hesitant to face the Kazakh warrior. Boasting a record of 36-0 with 33 knockouts, Golovkin brings an impressive, patient skill set to go along with his furious punching power. Indeed, GGG can not only win a fight, he can beat an opponent severely. Case in point – welterweight champ Kell Brook, who went up in weight to fight GGG recently and had to have surgery as a result of his encounter with the man.

Jacobs, however, is no joke. Here is a fighter, after all, who has not only licked cancer, but who has earned himself a record of 32-1 with 29 knockouts. Sure enough, Jacobs is skilled as well as powerful. Peter Quilin, for instance, was dusted by Jacobs within one round and that was supposed to be a relatively evenly matched fight. Perhaps most importantly, though, Jacobs appears to be willing to fight Golovkin, a man even top fighters like Alvarez appear to be content avoiding.

That in an of itself is worthy of some kind of praise in this era of low risk/high reward.

Posted on 08/30/2016

Can Canelo Repair His Reputation?
By: Sean Crose

Things are good yet not so good for Canelo Alvarez. The middleweight/junior middleweight/155 lb weight superstar and (to some, at least) lineal middleweight champ is rich, famous and about to fight yet another world titlist, Liam Smith, in front of an enormous crowd at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium in September. On the other hand, Canelo now has been labeled by many as being a duck…and being labeled a duck is never, not under any circumstances, a good thing for a fighter’s reputation. What’s more, some of Canelo’s comments to the press – and let’s be fair here, his English isn’t great when he speaks to the English speaking media – have only served to alienate him further from some fans.

Still, are things meant to terminally be this rough for the Mexican icon? Or will he someday redeem himself in the eyes of his detractors (let’s face it, the man was until very recently one of the few fighters in the modern era who didn’t seem afraid to face a real challenge)? That may actually all depend on two things: whether or not Canelo faces middleweight terror Gennady Golovkin before the Kazakh warrior begins to age significantly and whether or not Canelo will somehow manage to avoid being beaten before such a fight actually materializes.

To be sure, there are some who feel Canelo just isn’t talented or skilled enough to pick up the mantle left by Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, respectively. And make no mistake about it, Floyd and Manny are no longer kings of the ring. Even if they were to fight again, it would be more of a novelty than a snapshot of an era. Is Canelo near either man’s caliber, though? While only someone clouded by bias would claim the red headed star isn’t very, VERY good at what he does, there are some legitimate questions regarding the true quality of Canelo’s ring performances.

For instance, in his two biggest twins, Canelo bested an aged Miguel Cotto, and destroyed a known welterweight in Amir Khan. Impressive feats, sure, but how impressive when one looks at the whole picture? What’s more, few will give a win over the game, but widely unknown Smith a whole lot of props. Not when guys like GGG and any number of quality junior middleweights are – figuratively speaking – just a phone call away.

The truth is that Canelo can only completely and thoroughly re-establish his reputation by facing GGG in a timely manner. Even if he were to move on to best top level competition other than Golovkin, the letters GGG would hang over his reputation for as long as Canelo walked the earth. Which would be something no popular fighter would want to have happen.

Posted on 07/15/2016

Is Gennady Golovkin a bully or misunderstood?
By: Kirk Jackson

We’re a few days removed from the shocking announcement making waves in the sport of boxing. The announcement of the match-up featuring two champions. The battle between Kell Brook 36-0 (25 KO’s) and Gennady Golovkin 35-0 (32 KO’s).
Many people, fans, trainers and fighters alike are in shock of this match-up.

There is a claim echoed by many supporters of Golovkin stating Saul Alvarez, most recently Chris Eubank Jr., along with the other prominent fighters of the middleweight division are afraid of Golovkin.

Golovkin sports an 91% knock out ratio and has a current streak of 22 straight KO’s.

Is it really the case that everyone is too afraid to fight Golovkin? Hall of Fame Trainer Freddie Roach appears to think so.

“The thing is there is nobody out there that will fight him though. These guys are all saying no. He’s [Golovkin] a dangerous guy,” said Roach in an interview with Radio Rahim.

The biggest criticism of Golovkin is his level of opposition. No disrespect intended, but Dominic Wade, Marco Antonio Rubio, Willie Monroe Jr. and David Lemieux are not exactly marquee names in the middleweight division.

But at the same token, talks with the aforementioned Eubank and Alvarez, regular WBA middleweight champion Danny Jacobs, WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders, retired super middleweight champion Carl Froch, either faltered or never transpired to begin with.

There is two sides to every negotiation so who truly knows what happened. It should be noted fighters such as Andre Ward and Erislandy Lara have openly talked about their willingness to face Golovkin and even called him out on a few occasions.

Like some of the other fight candidates, a proposed match-up between Golovkin vs. Ward and Golovkin vs. Lara never materialized.

Enter Kell Brook, which is an interesting case, as he was not on Golovkin’s radar initially.

A few things are certain now that Brook and Golovkin are set to fight Sept. 10th at the O2 Arena in London.

Golovkin and Brook were engaged in tough negotiations with other fighters, talks dissolved and they found a resolution in facing each other.

Brook has much more to gain with this fight. He has been criticized with having a soft touch of weak opposition in the past and that’s a fair assessment. Aside from Shawn Porter, the list of high caliber opponents on Brook’s resume is lacking.

A quick fix for that issue is moving up two weight divisions to face the unified middleweight champion of the world. As the underdog, Brook will have the support of many and he is fighting on home turf in London.

Some may question the reasoning for Brook to fight Golovkin. So far as explanations go, Brook stated he wants to fight the best opposition.

Current WBO welterweight champion Jessie Vargas, who was slated to face Brook in a unification match, suggests Brook has different intentions.

“Brook was just looking for a big payday. It’s a low-risk, high-reward situation. No one expects him to beat Triple G. What happens if he would have lost to me? He goes back to London without his title and no more significant paydays.”

For Golovkin, he is a strong, menacing, middleweight facing a smaller welterweight. Honestly this should be viewed as an unfair match-up; that should be the narrative.

Critics scoffed at the notion of the larger junior middleweight/middleweight/155 pounder Saul Alvarez fighting the welterweight Amir Khan. The fight happened and we saw Khan get smacked into unconsciousness.
Potentially, Brook vs. Golovkin can be much worse. Brook has a better chin than Khan, but Golovkin is a bigger puncher than Alvarez.

From the perspective of analyzing skills and achievements, Brook can be considered best opponent Golovkin will have faced thus far in his professional career.
This is quite interesting for the 34 year-old Golovkin. Although Brook is arguably top 10 pound-for-pound talent, weight classes exist for a reason.

If Golovkin manages to lose this fight, plenty of questions will be raised regarding the legitimacy of his career. Not saying it’s fair, but that’s the reality of the situation.

A great middleweight should not lose to a really good welterweight.

In some instances, Team Golovkin is damned if they do, damned if they don’t with this match-up.

But they may be at fault for their positioning with this dilemma. Team Golovkin has been the beneficiary of countless excuses made by the media and benefited tremendously from the false narrative projected by these same outlets.

As many great fighters have done in the past when seeking greater challenges, they typically move up in weight, not down.

Moving up not only in search of greater challenges, but larger paydays and worldwide recognition for seeking and achieving greater accomplishments.
Essentially what Brook is doing, something the Golovkin will soon follow.

Posted on 07/10/2016

GGG needs to step up…or down
By: Mathew N. Becher

Everyone is aware that the Middleweight champion of the world, Gennady Golovkin, is the most avoided fighter in the world right now. He has consistently tried to make fights with the likes of Peter Quillin, Daniel Jacobs, BJ Saunders and a number of other top middleweight contenders, only to be left with an unsigned contract and/or hopes of matches in over a year from now. It is a frustrating game for the fans of the sport, especially for the man known as “GGG”, who has been trying to collect all of the titles in the 160lb division, even though nobody wants to man up and take on the challenge.

The bombshell that came about this week was when a fight with the British Middleweight champion, Chris Eubank Jr., fell through, do to Eubank and his team pretty much asking for way to much control of the fight. This has happened before, with fighters saying in the press that they want to take on the monster that is Golovkin, but finding ways behind closed doors to get out of it. The actual bombshell wasn’t Eubanks not taking the fight, but 147lb IBF world champion Kell Brook stepping up and agreeing to all the terms that Eubank was offered. So on September 10th of this year, Kell Brook will skip two weight classes and take on the most feared man in boxing, Gennady Golovkin for the middleweight championship of the world.

The problem with this has nothing to do with Kell Brook. He has nothing to lose in this contest and everything to gain. If he can pull off the “impossible” upset, he would become the undisputed Middleweight champion of the world, while still being a welterweight title holder. If he loses, like many suspect, he will have taken on the bigger man, which shows how big a heart and desire to compete he possesses. Same as when Amir Khan recently took on Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez took the brunt of bad media for stepping in the ring with the much smaller Khan. And even though Khan lost, badly, he showed that he had the will to put it all on the line against a bigger man.
Golovkin, who is repeatedly given good press for trying to make fights with the top men in his division is at a cross roads, and may have made a bad decision in choosing brook as his opponent. When you are consistently avoided by the tops in your weight class, it is you and only you that should take the initiative and go after other big fish. Golovkin could easily fight any of the top Jr. Middleweights if he wished to, or at least call some of them out. Erislandy Lara, for instance, the WBA Jr. Middleweight champ has been interested in a fight with Golovkin for 2 years, and has never been given any consideration. Another test for Golovkin would be a possible move up in weight to the Super Middleweight division, where he could be tested by a bigger opponent and expand his resume.

Everyone understands that Golovkin wants “All of the Belts” in the Middleweight division, and for the most part he does have all of them except one, meaning, he has for all intent and purposes cleaned out the division. Instead of looking for fighters that will upsell their own names by “stepping” up to you, why not show everyone else that you are the one willing to put it all on the line.

Either by losing the weight or gaining it, and stepping out of your comfort zone.

Golovkin is one of the best fighters in the world at the particular moment, but what has his toughest test been? Martin Murray? No disrespect to Murray, but that is hardly a lasting legacy to leave. If GGG wants to be known as a pound for pound elite, then maybe he needs to start looking to add or drop some pounds and become the predator hunting for prey, and not the king looking to be eventually dethroned.