SPORTS SHORTS 258: WHAT'S NEXT FOR SAUL ALVAREZ, WILL IT BE A CANELO-GGG III?
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 09 Nov 2021
After beating Caleb Plant, the supermiddleweight division has been cleared, and the frequently asked question is: What's next for Canelo Álvarez? The next challenge which a lot of fans want to see is a trilogy with Gennady Golovkin.
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The first Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin fight billed as "Supremacy," was for the unified WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, IBO, The Ring middleweight championship held on September 16, 2017, at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada.
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Compubox stats had Golovkin outlanding Alvarez in 10 of the 12 rounds, but the fight ended in a controversial split draw. Dave Moretti scored the fight 115–113 for Golovkin, Adalaide Byrd saw it 118–110 for Álvarez, and Don Trella had it 114–114. Byrd's scorecard was severely criticized, and many described it as a robbery.
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The controversial decision led to a rematch, which was tentatively scheduled for May 5, 2018. But the fight was cancelled after Álvarez was tested positive for a banned substance clenbuterol in March 2018, and he withdrew from the fight pending hearings with the Nevada Athletic Commission in April.
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After facing a suspension of six months which lasted until August 17, 2018, Álvarez and Golovkin agreed to move the rematch to September 15, 2018. Canelo Álvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada.
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Alvarez won by majority decision with Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld, both favoring him with the scores of 115-113, while the third judge Glenn Fieldman had it 114-114.
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In front of a sell out crowd of 21,965, the fight was again a subject of controversy as Álvarez defeated Golovkin via majority decision after 12 rounds. The result was disputed again by fans and media. Of the 18 media outlets scoring the bout, 10 favored Golovkin, 7 saw it a draw, while 1 scored the bout for Álvarez.
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Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez, who severely criticized Álvarez after the first fight said, “We had a great fight, the one we expected the first time around. I had it close going into the 12th round."
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"We had good judges, who saw it from different angles. I can't complain about the decision, but it's close enough to warrant a third fight. Canelo fought a great fight. Congratulations,” he added.
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Both fighters were open to fighting a trilogy. The bout was named "Fight of the Year 2018" by The Ring magazine.
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Canelo’s ferocious knockout win over Plant last Saturday proved the shortage of genuine challenges for the world's pound-for-pound king. And like Billy Joe Saunders after the Canelo fight, Plant was taken to the hospital after the stoppage via TKO in the 11th round.
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Golovkin will be turning 40 next April, and the chance for the trilogy fight to come into fruition is declining quickly. GGG's only career loss was dealt by Canelo in their rematch in 2018. However, many fans thought GGG won.
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If this fight ever happens, Golovkin will most probably need to move up to supermiddleweight from middleweight division.
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At 31-years-old, Canelo is in his prime and most likely still have a lot of good fighting years ahead. Canelo-GGG III is the next box-office fight that could happen next year. But other big opponents are also waiting to challenge the No. 1 pound-for-pound boxer.
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Jermall Charlo could also be the next opponent for Álvarez. He has held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBC middleweight title and previously the IBF light middleweight title.
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Canelo’s other possible opponents include David Benavidez, Ryota Murata, and Demetrius Andrade.
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Charlo, aged 31 years, from Lafayette, Louisiana, is undefeated at 32-0, 21 KOs, and at the prime of his career. He could easily move from middleweight to super middleweight. Charlo announced his goal of facing the winner of Canelo-Plant undisputed title fight.
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Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs), aged 24 years, from Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., was a two-time WBC super middleweight champion. It was reported that Benavidez had tested positive for cocaine and was stripped of his title.
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Ryōta Murata (16-2, 13 KOs), aged 35 years, from
Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan, has held the WBA (Super) middleweight title and previously held the WBA (Regular) title twice.
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Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs), aged 33 years, from Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A., is the WBO middleweight champion and previously the WBA (Regular) and WBO light middleweight titlist.
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Kobe Bryant recorded more 40-pt games than LeBron James and Stephen Curry combined, more 50-pt games than LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Larry Bird and more 60-pt games than Michael Jordan And LeBron James combined. Source : Fadeaway world.
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The top ten highest paid athletes of all time:
1. Michael Jordan $2.62 B
2. Tiger Woods $2.10 B
3. Arnold Palmer $1.50 B
4. Jack Nicklaus $1.38 B
5. Cristiano Ronaldo $1.24 B
6, Floyd Mayweather $1.20 B
7. LeBron James $1.17 B
8. Lionel Messi $1.14 B
9. Michael Schumacher $1.13 B
10. Roger Federer $1.12 B
Source: Sportico
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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