Alvarez starts hype for Golovkin bout
Easy victory sets up middleweight title fifight for Sept. 16.
LAS VEGAS — Minutes after turning what was touted as a big fifight into a glorifified sparring session, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez invited his next opponent into the ring.
About 90 minutes later, Alvarez had already changed into a suit and tie to pose for the fifirst staredown with Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.
At long last , Alvarez i s ready to give boxing fans what they want. The t wo will square offff on Sept. 16, Mexican Independence Day.
“I’m very happy that this fifight is fifinally here,” Alvarez said through an interpreter, “the one that a lot of you said would never be made.”
Alvarez, who had been f i g ht i ng a t l i g ht middl e - weight, had been accused of ducking the heavier Golovkin for a year. But after pummeling countryman Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday night, Mexico’s top fifighter is eager for the long overdue megafifight to determine the middleweight champion. “For us, this is the biggest fifight in boxing,” Golovkin said.
The Kazakhstan native owns the IBF, WBA and WBC middleweight titles. Alvarez had to relinquish hi s WBC belt to Golovkin (370, 33 KOs) last year when he declined a mandatory challenge.
“I’ve always stated that Triple G will happen in 2017,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Alvarez’s promoter. “Everybody was saying, ‘Why are you afraid of Triple G? Why is this not going to happen?’ I told everybody it’s going to happen in September, and we’re extremely proud and happy that this fifight is going to take place.”
Still to be determined is the venue, and De La Hoya insisted it could be “anywhere in the world.” One possibility is AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, which would allow for a c rowd upward of 100,000. The Dallas Cowboys play on the road that weekend, making it an option.
“Those negotiations, those talks will start in the weeks to come,” De La Hoya said.
Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) had never fought above 155 pounds until he weighed in at 164 on Friday. He had no trouble adjusting, appearing to toy with Chavez. Alvarez occasionally would lean back into the ropes and take punches from Chavez, only to quickly regain control with uppercuts and jabs.
According to CompuBox, Alvarez landed 83 jabs to Chavez’s 15. All three judges scored it 120-108, giving Alvarez all 12 rounds.
Immediately after Michael Buffffffffffffer announced the results, A l v a r e z t o l d t h e c r o wd Golovkin was next. The lights dimmed, and Golovkin, 35, walked into the ring. They later showed a promotional video for the fifight.
It was a WWE-style display that showed how little concern the Alvarez camp had for Chavez. The deal with Golovkin was signed a week earlier but kept under wraps.
“It couldn’t be a bigger announcement in the sport of boxing,” said Tom Loefflfler, Golovkin’s promoter.