Canelo Alvarez is the only fighter to ever defeat Gennadiy Golovkin.
And now he has accomplished that feat twice.
For the first time in their rivalry, Alvarez was in complete control of a fight against Golovkin. Unlike their first two bouts, which were extremely competitive and close, this one was lopsided. Alvarez outpunched and outlanded Golovkin, nearly doubling up, 85-46, on power punches, and he was faster and crisper all night.
The lethal shotgun jab was never a factor, as Golovkin simply could not keep up with Alvarez’s speed. He could not sustain any measure of pressure, and there was never an inch of doubt about the impending decision. Inactivity certainly didn’t help Golovkin. After all the build and hype, he simply looked like a shell of himself in this fight.
Alvarez was not his absolute best, but there was no question he was better than Golovkin.
The Decision
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
There was no controversy in the trilogy.
Despite some outlandish scorecards, where two judges scored the bout one round apart despite Alvarez controlling the overwhelming majority of the fight, this was scored a unanimous decision for Alvarez.
This did not meet the expectations or the pace of the first two bouts. Golovkin looked old and slow, contrasted significantly by Alvarez, who immediately was the aggressor. Golovkin had flashes of power in the final rounds, but regardless of what two judges will tell you, this decision was never in question.
Round 12
The trilogy is over, and there is finally clarity between these two fighters. After 36 rounds, there is no doubt that, right now, Alvarez is the better fighter. Golovkin kept the second half of the fight competitive, but it made no difference after he was overly cautious in the first six rounds. With age playing a major factor, Golovkin needed to pace himself – except that the fight was effectively over by the time he started to take some risks.
Round 11
The end is near for Golovkin. Even though Alvarez has looked far less crisp over the past five rounds, this outcome is inevitable. Unless Golovkin can drop him, he won’t get another shot at Alvarez.
Round 10
Golovkin continued to apply pressure in Round 10, finally connecting his left jab. There was even a triple jab from Triple G. He has put forth a valiant effort in these late rounds, but a knockout is going to be his only route to victory.
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
Round 9
As his obituary was being written, Golovkin came back to life. He backed up Alvarez on two separate occasions, and his right hand finally emerged as a factor. Alvarez also landed a heavy right hand. Without question, this was the most competitive, compelling round of the bout.
Round 8
Alvarez continued to strike first in the eighth. For the first time in his career, Golovkin looks old. It is still a reach to think Alvarez will win this by knockout, but there is no doubt how the judges are scoring this fight.
Round 7
There is no reason to believe Golovkin will win this fight. Alvarez has his timing, and though he did not do much damage here, he landed the round’s only shots of meaning.
The finish is becoming inevitable, and there should be controversy about this outcome.
Round 6
Prior to tonight, Golovkin outlanded Alvarez in three-fourths of their 24 rounds. That has not been the case in this fight. This was the most competitive round from Golovkin, and he still couldn’t land the jab. But that may be due to hesitancy about counters from Alvarez, who has been cleaner and faster in every round.
Round 5
Alvarez continued to punish Golovkin, landing shots across the upper body. Golovkin has yet to deliver any shots of consequence, but he is certainly eating them. A shot to the ribs completely threw Golovkin off-balance, and he took another overhand shot.
After losing his last fight, this has been a statement so far from Canelo.
Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated
Round 4
Alvarez continues to distance himself in each passing round. Golovkin will need to attack the body in order to win the fight, which has yet to happen through four rounds.
Round 3
Alvarez has the more explosive hands, which was evident through his left hook. A lot could change over the rest of the fight, but right now, Golovkin is showing his age. Alvarez is fighting off the front foot, and that brought him success in the third.
Round 2
Neither boxer has been able to establish any real body work through two rounds. Alvarez landed an overhand hook with just under 29 seconds remaining in the round, but still, it’s anyone’s fight.
Round 1
If the first two fights taught us anything, it is that no round can be taken for granted.
Alvarez was more aggressive than Golovkin in the opening round, but it was mostly a feeling out process. Golovkin’s jab was a non-factor in the first three minutes.
Main Event Delayed Due to Long Lead-Up
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Following three national anthems, two walkouts, introductions and a host of advertisements …
We are finally ready to start the fight.
Time for the Main Event
Following a terribly lip-synced Kazakhstan national anthem—the song was ongoing before the singer even started, and the microphone was turned off when he tried to speak into it at the end of the song —we are one step closer to the main event.
Rodriguez Records Victory
The super flyweight bout went the distance, with champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez defeating Israel Gonzalez by unanimous decision. This was a closer fight than the scorecards indicated, but the right man won.
After a long wait–initially, it appeared this fight would take place in 2019–the next fight is Alvarez against Golovkin.
The fight line continues to jump for Alvarez, but it would be short-sighted to discount Golovkin. He nearly won both bouts against Canelo–in fact, those outcomes were tenuous.
Golovkin finally gets another chance to slay Alvarez. Setting the pace in the early rounds will be critical for him.
Canelo vs. GGG preview
Canelo Alvarez defends the undisputed super middleweight title tonight against Gennadiy Golovkin.
Alvarez won their last bout in September of 2018, permanently shattering Golovkin’s undefeated record. That was a rematch of their first meeting, which took place a year prior to that, and ended in a draw.
Now, four years later and 24 rounds into the competition among the eternal rivals, comes the long-awaited trilogy bout.
Oddsmakers have Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 knockouts) as the overwhelming favorite. He is coming off a rare loss last May, defeated by Dmitry Bivol by a unanimous decision. That took place in the 175-pound weight class, but he is now back to 160 against Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 knockouts). The first two bouts were incredibly close, but age and incentive both stand as an advantage here for Alvarez.
Eight years younger than the 40-year-old Golovkin, this bout represents a chance for Alvarez to reassert himself as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. A win here will help erase the ignominy of that loss to Bivol. Yet this is also Golovkin’s last stand. If he does not emerge victorious, then he will not find himself in another opportunity like this headline bout. A win, however, puts the wheels in motion for a fourth fight (and hopefully we won’t have to wait four years for the rematch).
Ring walks are expected to take place at 11pm ET. Follow along on SI.com for more information.
