Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is maintaining that his rivalry with Gennadiy Golovkin is fully done – after two close bouts at the middleweight limit.
They fought to a controversial twelve round split draw in 2017, with Canelo winning a close twelve round majority decision in September 2018. Both fights took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
DAZN, the streaming service which has exclusive deals with Golovkin and Canelo, tried their best to make a trilogy fight – and Canelo had little to no interest in a third encounter.
Canelo is now moving up by two weight classes to the light heavyweight division to challenge WBO world champion Sergey Kovalev at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Golovkin, who earlier this month was tested to the limit in a close win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko, still wants the trilogy fight – but Canelo is not biting.
“When an athlete is at his great moment, there are always people who disagree with what you do or people who do not support you, but that is normal, it is part of the process of a successful person. I really do not place much importance [in negative things that are said about me] and I take it as a motivation, because sometimes people judge without knowing boxing, then in the end I take it from who it’s coming from,” Canelo told TUDN.
“For all of those things that were said about me by [Golovkin’s] coach [Abel Sanchez], I am very pleased to win the fight, because that is what gives you the power to shut his mouth and everyone else who spoke – which in the end is where it’s worth everything. [Golovkin] is going to keep talking about me, but that rivalry has already ended. For me it doesn’t present any kind of challenge.
“[Kovalev is] a big challenge. In boxing, going up by two kilos is really a lot, so you can imagine that right now it’s a big challenge for me – but we also know that my abilities will have me ready for this and we are doing a great preparation and we know that we can achieve this fourth title, and I feel happy and motivated because it is a great fight – where I carry a lot of risk and that is what I like because that is what will make me enter history as a great.”
–boxingscene.com
