Canelo VS GGG 3; T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Although Gennady Golovkin said in the ring, he still is champ at 160 and has plans to go back; it won’t be what happens. And Golovkin will not return because as a true pro, he can see the writing on the wall. Time has done to him, or at least IS doing to him, what’s it’s done to everyone. Beaten them. Had two of the three blind mice (David Sutherland and Steve Weistfeld); pushed the imagination more than they did, it would be disastrous. The 40-year old Kazakhstani would be filled with even more false hope.
To summarize; for nine-or-ten of the rounds Canelo Alvarez used great countering to push the older fighter around. However the scorecards read 116-112, and 115-113 2x. Had just one more round been scored for GGG and we could be looking at another draw. And going by what your eyes witnessed, that clearly did not happen.
Did Golovkin have a better second half of the fight? Sure. However there were things in play on why. The biggest wasn’t known till post fight. Alvarez revealed he needs time off for surgery to a broken left hand. Now he did throw his left, some of which stung GGG. However; it could be he was just taking his foot off the gas. Like a cat playing with a mouse. Which is more likely the case than a true surge by Golovkin.
Golovkin Will Not Return Once He Looks At Himself In The Mirror
When it comes to great trilogies, we have Gatti-Ward, Ali-Frazier, and a lot more. In this trilogy the first was fun, the second was better, which is rare (no thanks to lousy judging), and this one stayed afloat. For two rivals to squash the heat it shows incredible sportsmanship. For Alvarez to say:
“Thank you for everything. We gave the fans three great fights”.
Is classy. But in actuality they gave us two and a quarter fights. With the two warriors embracing, and respecting one another, there was no way on Earth Golovkin would steal the spotlight from Alvarez. Had that left hand not been broken, Golovkin may very well have tasted the canvas for the very first time.
And why wouldn’t Golovkin show respect to Alvarez post-fight. He showed him way too much during the fight. Add in the age, and something else too. Golovkin walking to the ring didn’t have that look in his eyes that he’d do whatever it took to get the job done. Multiple times between rounds JOHNATHON BANKS pleaded with Golovkin to be more aggressive. While his mind might have thought okay, his body said not tonight.
What Awaits Him If He Doesn’t Walk Away
Jermall Charlo has his hands full coming up with Tim Tszyu coming up. Both of whom would hurt the future Hall Of Famer badly. Especially with Charlo becoming a bit of a boogeyman. Even a slower Erislandy Lara can outpace this version of Golovkin. And you can bet the winner of Caleb Plant and Anthony Dirrell next month will call out Golovkin’s name if he hasn’t put in the retirement papers yet. Neither of which would have a big problem beating him.
Would GGG have moments in any of those fights? Absolutely. However, it would just be quick flashes. There is nothing sustainable left in the tank. And that’s a hard realization to look at. Should the trilogy have happened two or three years ago? Yes, but Alvarez was chasing bigger fish. Or was he looking to fight anyone BUT Golovkin we’ll never fully know. So the Mexican learned a great lesson from Floyd Mayweather; to wait opponents out. But at this point, a hesitant fighter looking like he’s timid and in the mud is not good for their long term health.
Golovkin’s career best punch has been a multiple jab. And that’s the only stat he led in (74-45). But all the other statistics on this night are a one-sided epitaph to a legendary career of a humble fighter. One that should be holding a presser this week to make it official.
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