Alvarez v GGG Predictions: Boxers Make Their Picks
Icover the NFL, boxing and every sport in between. If Canelo Alvarez had agreed to fight Gennady Golovkin in 2016, the focus of this article might be entirely different. Alvarez had struggled through the first couple of rounds with Amir Khan before devastatingly knocking him out, but Golovkin was considered a monster on a 21-fight knockout streak. He likely would have been a significant favourite to beat Alvarez.
But one year later, the storyline has been altered. Alvarez has earned another pair of impressive victories, albeit against junior middleweight Liam Smith and a completely weight-drained Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Golovkin, meanwhile, took some big-time shots from welterweight Kell Brook before literally breaking his face, and against Daniel Jacobs last March, Golovkin squeaked out a close decision.
Now, the Alvarez-Golovkin matchup set for Sunday (Fijian time) is basically a 50-50 fight. Here are some predictions from those fighters and experts who know these boxers better than most anybody else.
ANTHONY JOSHUA: The heavyweight champion who will fight Kubrat Pulev on October 28 is transparent about his rooting interests. He says he’s hoping Alvarez will win. And Joshua thinks he will. “He’s 27, and the man has achieved so much …” Joshua said, via the Daily Mail.
“He’s still a baby but he’ll be one of the fathers in the sport. Give him another 10 years. He’ll be around for a long time, and I think he’ll do great things for the sport. I have been riding with Canelo for a long time, but it’s going to be a tough fight because Triple G … has the good foundations of a boxer. But so has Canelo, so I’ll put my money on him.”
CARL FROCH: The retired super middleweight champ who now does colour commentary for Sky Sports says Golovkin has been getting hit by his opponents too much lately. In essence, Froch thinks Golovkin, at the age of 35, is past his prime. “(It’s) Canelo Alvarez for me in a close one,” Froch told IFL TV, via Boxing News 24.
“I think Golovkin’s just past his best. He’s getting old. I think Alvarez wins that. But Golovkin might just win, smash him and knock him out. It’s boxing, isn’t it? But if I had to pick a winner, I’m picking Canelo Alvarez to beat Golovkin.”
WILLIE MONROE JR.: The middleweight who’s scheduled to face Billy Joe Saunders for a middleweight belt on Saturday fought Golovkin in 2015. After watching this video, you’ll probably figure out who Monroe is picking to win.
Yeah, he’s going with Golovkin. “Obviously, the king of the middleweight division is Golovkin,” Monroe told BoxNation.
“I lost to him early on in my career. He’s tough. He’s skilfully awkward. People don’t realise. They look at his power. They don’t realise he’s very skilful, but he’s very awkward also. Any awkward fighter can give any fighter a big test; not to mention we’re talking Triple G, too. He’s a very good fighter, skilfully awkward, and very strong.”
FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR: The long time trainer has some specific advice for Alvarez. Punch Golovkin to the body. And maybe he has a point. After all, Golovkin, as far as we know, has never been hurt in a fight by a punch to the chin.
“I think Canelo can do it if he fights the right fight,” Mayweather told HoopJab.
“If Canelo goes to the body, he will stop Triple G. It’s not that Triple G is weak to the body, but if you go down there, you find stuff you’ve never seen before.”
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR: Coming off his victory against Conor McGregor and his subsequent retirement, Mayweather is in agreement with his father. He’s also picking Alvarez, in part because of Golovkin’s performance v Brook a year ago.
“He was just outboxed by a welterweight,” Mayweather Jr., said, via HoopJab.
So, Alvarez will beat Golovkin, then?
“Canelo,” Mayweather Jr. said, “knocks Triple G out.”
MARTIN MURRAY: If you don’t
remember Golovkin knocking out Monroe, perhaps you’ll remember him accomplishing this against Murray.
Who do you suppose Murray is picking to win? “I’m picking Golovkin,” Murray told Box Nation.
“I know what it’s like being in there with him. I think Canelo has been quite clever the way he’s done it, waiting a couple of fights. I think the last two fights, (Golovkin has) looked beatable. I think a couple of fights ago, a lot of people would have been saying Golovkin, but I’m going with Golovkin by late stoppage.”
AMIR KHAN: After getting knocked out by Alvarez in 2016, Khan’s team was the first to demand Alvarez fight Golovkin. Now that the fight is happening, Khan is leaning towards the opponent who stopped him. “Going on their past few performances I think that Canelo is only getting better and will get the win.
Golovkin is an excellent fighter, but his last performance against Danny Jacobs would have given Canelo a lot of encouragement,” Khan said, via Eastside Boxing. “Golovkin had trouble dealing with Jacobs, and Canelo has even more skills. I’ve been in the ring with him and he’s quick, has good movement and is a big puncher. I know a lot of people think Golovkin is the puncher going into this fight, but Canelo’s power should not be underestimated.”
TIM BRADLEY: The former twodivision titlist who now works with ESPN apparently wasn’t impressed with Alvarez’s win against Chavez. “Chavez was a dead man,” Bradley told TRUBoxing Headz. “He wasn’t punching back and wasn’t doing anything to stop Canelo from doing what he wanted to do.” And though Bradley knows Golovkin didn’t look great in his last fight against Jacobs, Bradley seems to think that’s a positive for Golovkin now—and he’s picking Golovkin to win.
“(If) I had a lackluster performance my last time out, I’d know what I did wrong and that I’m going to fix these things … and I’m going to be the best I can be this fight,” Bradley said. “I think we’re going to see the best Triple G.”
He’s still a baby but he’ll be one of the fathers in the sport. Give him another 10 years. He’ll be around for a long time, and I think he’ll do great things for the sport. I have been riding with Canelo for a long time, but it’s going to be a tough fight because Triple G … has the good foundations of a boxer. But so has Canelo, so I’ll put my money on him. Anthony Joshua Boxer