The dust has settled on the trilogy pitting Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez against Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin. The third instalment, a dominating performance from ‘Canelo’ to take a points decision that should have been far wider than the cards had it, was a damp squib after their savage first two battles. But now each man can move on with a sense of closure, having united in friendship at the conclusion of their shared 36 rounds together. But what does moving on look like for each man? What next for Alvarez and Golovkin?
It is certainly easier to plot a path for ‘Canelo’. The undisputed super middleweight champion may have got back into the win column here, but it is clear his May loss to Dmitry Bivol still rankles. Alvarez is keen to run back that loss for the WBA light heavyweight title, but presently Bivol has an engagement with Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez in the diary. That fight is scheduled for November, meaning Bivol could be ready to face ‘Canelo’ on his favoured Cinco de Mayo weekend next May, a year on from their first bout.
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But what if Alvarez decides to fight in the interim? What’s out there for boxing’s most bankable star? He has always been keen to downplay any talk of joining the celebrity boxing circus, so you can take any challenges laid down by Jake and Logan Paul as the mere expulsion of hot air.
‘Canelo’ became agitated when fielding multiple questions about super middleweight contender David Benavidez during the post-fight press conference. The unbeaten former two-time world champion is a name on everyone’s lips when it comes to Alvarez. Most people feel his business at 168lbs will not truly have concluded until he faces his fellow Mexican. While ‘Canelo’ has said he does not want to fight any of his countrymen, the fact Benavidez was born in Phoenix, Arizona could provide enough of a loophole. For their part, the Benavidez camp seem keen to force the issue, with the fighter’s father in particular calling out ‘Canelo’.
The likeliest outcome is still a fight with the Bivol-’Zurdo’ winner. Alvarez said he intends to stay in “light training” while his body heals, meaning he probably won’t be in the ring for a while. Giving the WBA light heavyweight title situation a chance to play out before engaging the winner seems to be the Mexican superstar’s current plan. Tellingly, any talk of a bout with WBC cruiserweight boss Ilunga Makabu looks to have been shelved indefinitely.
Golovkin’s path from now is a little less clear-cut. At the age of 40 and having been conclusively beaten by his greatest rival for the first time, is there anything left for the Kazakh warrior to prove? Most would say no. A two-time and reigning world middleweight champion who has lost just twice in 45 fights, both to ‘Canelo’, Golovkin is the epitome of a modern great. ‘GGG’ could walk away today knowing in five years time he will be enshrined in Canastota at the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
But walking away from this cruel but magnetic sport at the right time is a skill that has eluded even the greatest fighters. Think Muhammad Ali shambling around against Trevor Berbick as a cowbell acted as a makeshift ring bell or Mike Tyson desperately trying to snap the arm of Kevin McBride because he could not outbox the journeyman across from him. If Golovkin hangs up his gloves now then he has only been beaten by one incredibly worthy adversary. He retires as a reigning world middleweight champion. It would be a dignified end to a wonderful career.
Given Golovkin’s status and stature in the game, people were always going to try and take the opportunity to capitalise on the post-fight buzz. Unsurprisingly the never knowingly self-aware figure of Chris Eubank Jr was challenging him before the ink was even dry on the scorecards. The ‘GGG’ match is one the 32-year-old has coveted for a while. However his timing, coming on the back of Golovkin looking every bit a fighter at the end of his cycle, was tactless.
The potential benefits of such a fight are lopsided in the extreme. Golovkin’s glistening record gains very little from Eubank Jr’s name being added. ‘Next Gen’ has never held a major world title and, while he is a talented contender, he is hardly the missing piece of the Golovkin legacy. Eubank Jr seeking the fight is far more understandable. A chance at the WBA and IBF middleweight belts against a fighter who is 40 (and looks it) probably seems like a free-hit to the ambitious son of the great Chris Eubank.
Eubank Jr won’t be the last. Younger fighters will look to use Golovkin’s name and hard-won reputation if he continues fighting. He had just enough to turn back Ryota Murata in his last middleweight title defence in April, but even during that fight the signs of decline were showing.
After 12 hard rounds against ‘Canelo’ it is doubtful ‘GGG’ has much left. Perhaps enough to get through another Kamil Szeremeta or Steve Rolls-level opponent. Perhaps not. Why take the risk? Golovkin is a fighter this generation of fans will tell their grandchildren about. A brave, bruising and brilliant fighter who has thrilled us for well over a decade. There can be no greater legacy than that and there is nothing ‘GGG’ could realistically achieve now that would build upon it further.
Saturday’s fight ultimately proved that ‘Canelo’ and ‘GGG’ are two men on different paths. Only one of those paths should pass through a prize ring again. While Alvarez looks for revenge against Bivol, Golovkin should be unburdened by such concerns. His legacy is complete, his loose ends tied up. ‘GGG’ deserves the happy and healthy retirement that eludes our finest boxers far too often.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
