Alvarez stands firm to secure win of his life
THE two best middleweights in the world both took it on the chin. Gennady Golovkin the arguable if not this time scandalous decision against him. Canelo Alvarez the huge blows from the most devastating pound-for-pound puncher in the world which came within his orange whiskers of costing him the victory of his life. These margins which can be so fine in championship boxing delivered the mano-a-mano fight with which the two of them had promised to expunge the travesty of their first close encounter a year ago. It was not quite the classic for the ages for which all concerned were hoping, but it was a modern thriller in its own right. That made the verdict brought down by three wiser men than the panel which sat in false judgment a year ago more a question for sharp discussion than outraged condemnation. Did Triple G pay the price again for battling Canelo in his virtual home town? Most likely. The Mexican who had been favoured with a disgraceful draw a year ago possibly deserved the same decision again as his country’s Independence Day celebrations invaded Las Vegas. But no more than that in the view of most observers. Professional opinion veered between another stalemate and my card of 116-113 in favour of Golovkin. The deadlock was broken by two judges who, only by giving the last round to Alvarez, averted another draw by majority decision scores of 115-113. The third man saw it 114-114. Several rounds were close enough to discourage either suspicion of venal conspiracy or protest at a blatant miscarriage of justice. Golovkin was sufficiently perturbed to stalk out of the T-Mobile Arena at the end without addressing the jubilant Mexican majority in a sell-out crowd. Yet even in the hour following the first defeat of his career and with it the end of his reign over the middleweight division, he returned to congratulate the successor to his WBC, WBA and IBO throne. A champion, win or lose. Alvarez bestrode his gladiatorial triumph with good grace, saluting Triple G as a ‘great champion’. They embraced at the end as true warriors should. Thereby burying their year of controversy and discontent, although not each other and not quite the shadow left over from Canelo’s drugs suspension. Each had vowed to knock out the bitterest rival of their careers but both were left standing after 12 rounds. How Alvarez managed to stay upright in the 11th, when Golovkin found the target with enough howitzers to have flattened a dozen lesser men is a question only he might answer. Canelo has reinstated himself as a Mexican folk hero. South of the border, all is forgiven. Well, at least he achieved that measure of redemption with an heroic performance.