Sunday, Sep 18, 2022. 12:30 AM
Canelo Alvarez (58 wins, including 39 before the limit, two draws, two losses) easily defeated Gennadiy Golovkin (42 wins, including 37 before the limit, one draw, two losses) in the third chapter of their illustrious rivalry, Saturday at Las Vegas, remaining the undisputed super middleweight champion. Alvarez won the fight via unanimous decision from the judges who handed cards 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113.
The two pugilists studied each other in the first two rounds before the Mexican took the upper hand over the Kazakh for the rest of the fight. Alvarez served Golovkin a boxing lesson followingwards, frequently hitting an opponent who didn’t seem of the same caliber.
The 40-year-old pugilist didn’t find a response to his 32-year-old rival’s nimble and methodical boxing until the ninth round when he was finally able to lay down some good power shots, knocking Alvarez back for the first time in the fight. .
Obviously behind on the scorecards, Golovkin picked up the pace in an attempt to turn things around. His aggressiveness, however, opened the door for Alvarez who hit him with a good shot to the body in the 10e. Unable to knock out Alvarez, Golovkin admitted defeat following 12 rounds. Never one of the two fighters visited the floor in career.
Golovkin’s only draw and both losses were conceded to Canelo following 36 rounds. The first two bouts between the two boxing legends had been a great show, but the wait time between chapters two and three seemed to weigh on the boxer from Kazakhstan. The first two fights took place in September 2017 and September 2018 before a long wait of four years for the third chapter of the duel.
Despite the animosity between the two boxers before the fight, Saul Alvarez insisted on emphasizing his respect for his opponent. “Thank you my friend, he breathed following the fight. Thank you Golovkin, thank you for everything. We gave the fans three good fights. Thank you for everything. He is a great fighter, I am proud to have shared the ring with him. I will continue to build my legacy. »
“Thank you for your support, I have gone through difficult times in my life. All you can try is to move forward and it was difficult to get through my defeat. Defeat is good to come back and show humility,” the winner also whispered regarding his loss to Dmitry Bivol.
For his part, Golovkin also highlighted the work of his opponent. “Everyone knows it was the best possible fight for boxing. Everyone knows that’s who Canelo is. You always have to fight, following each blow, you have to keep fighting. We are two fighters who train hard and we offered high quality boxing. »
If the first two fights were more intense in terms of blows, Golovkin recognizes that this third chapter was much more mental than the previous ones. “This fight was so tactical. You had to be smart. It was like a chess match. Today Canelo was better. I don’t feel bad, it was a good fight,” says Golovkin.
Without really answering the question of whether the hatchet was definitely buried, Golovkin believes that the legacy of the two boxers transcends their rivalry. “It’s like the best players of all time. In basketball, Kobe, LeBron or Jordan, there is not just one great. »
As for a possible retirement, the Kazakh quickly closed the door to the idea. “Oh I will absolutely continue. I have a great plan and I like performance. Congratulations to Canelo, congratulations to the fans. Remember, I have three belts at 160 pounds, I’ll be back! I’m still a champion! »
In a final gesture of respect between the two men. Golovkin and Alvarez shook hands before hugging each other in the center of the ring. “I want to shake hands with Canelo, congratulations to him and his whole team. He is a warrior, if you don’t understand that, you don’t understand anything. »
Rodriguez retains WBC super flyweight title
Jesse Rodriguez, a new boxing sensation from the United States, retained his WBC super flyweight belt by defeating Mexico’s Israel Gonzalez by unanimous decision on Saturday in Las Vegas (Nevada).
The American, the youngest current world champion at 22, largely dominated his challenger, each of the three judges attributing the victory to him (118-109, 117-110, 114-113).
Nicknamed “Bam” for his devastating punch, however, he was unable to knock down his rival, who also resisted two blows below the belt in the 8th round, without however really worrying the American in return.
Rodriguez, who now has 17 victories including 11 before the limit in as many fights, confirms to be the revelation of the year in the world of boxing, he who seized the WBC title, then vacant in February, beating a another Mexican Carlos Cuadras, before keeping it for the first time in June, once morest the Thai Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
For Gonzalez, 25, this defeat is the fifth in 34 fights (28 wins including 11 before the limit, 1 draw).
