Canelo vs. GGG result: Canelo and Golovkin battle to a draw

In a fascinating clash, Gennady Golovkin appeared to edge Canelo Alvarez but had to settle for a split draw in a fight that requires a rematch.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin, from the moment it was officially announced, captivated the collective imagination of boxing fans. In what has been a resurgent year for a perpetually embattled sport, Canelo-Golovkin promised to be a crowning achievement. Although Canelo fought well and rallied late, Golovkin appeared to earn a hard-fought decision. Ultimately, the scores read 114-114, 115-113 Golovkin and a unconscionable 118-110 for Canelo.

A fascinating, cagey start saw Golovkin apply steady pressure behind an active jab, as both men landed during a trio of tense exchanges. Canelo made Golovkin miss badly on a couple of occasions and connected with right hand counters, but the Kazakh was steadier with his work. Canelo snagged round two with some impressive counter punching, including a dynamic explosion to close the stanza that offset a GGG rush.

The third round proved to be a compelling contrast of Canelo boxing more confidently for the bulk of the frame, with Golovkin finally committing to a left hook that thumped Canelo’s body just before the bell. Prior to that, though, Golovkin had appeared tentative with his counters. Golovkin built on this moment and appeared galvanized in the fourth, stalking Canelo with intent and forcing him to retreat to the ropes. Canelo managed to slip his share of shots, but the fight’s tenor had shifted.

In the fifth, the action intensified after Golovkin ate a flush Canelo right hand counter and replied with and overhand bomb of his own. With Canelo again against the ropes, Golovkin applied pressure, only to see Canelo fight his way back to the centre of the ring with a flashy fusillade. Momentum seesawed in round six after Canelo got off to a torrid start with some punishing body shots. Golovkin, undeterred, worked his jab to steady the action and force Canelo onto his back foot, and he spent the rest of the stanza probing for openings.

Round seven saw Canelo almost exclusively on his back foot, although Golovkin had stretches where his pressure amounted to little of substance. Canelo landed some slick counters, but they lacked snap as he rarely planted his feet or firmly stood his ground. An intriguing subplot was introduced in the eighth when Canelo made a concerted effort to take the center of the ring, which he held for a good minute. He even tagged Golovkin with a flush left uppercut, but the Kazakh walked through it and nearly doubled Canelo in punches landed.

Both men landed bombs in the ninth, and while Canelo’s flashy shots may have appeared more eye-catching, Golovkin’s work was steady and more calculated. Round ten started off seeming as if Canelo was going to wrest control of the fight; he connected with a pair of brutal combinations to start the round and caught Golovkin off-balance. Golovkin, spurred on by Canelo’s assault, rallied and closed the round by buzzing Canelo and missing wildly with a haymaker after sensing that Canelo was faltering.

The question heading into the championship rounds was whether Canelo was scoring enough with his sporadic but explosive bursts to counter Golovkin’s relentless attack. Somehow, after seeming gassed, Canelo exploded in the eleventh and upped his output, outworking Golovkin for significant stretches and landing with multi-punch combinations. In the the final stanza, after an embrace of mutual respect, Canelo and Golovkin went to war and connected solidly until being forced back by Golovkin once again. Impressively, Canelo mustered reserves he hadn’t shown in the past and seemed to at least slightly narrow the gap of a fight that was slipping away heading into the fight’s final third.

The crowd jeered at the decision, and both men are obviously interested in a rematch. The 118-110 card delivered by Adalaide Byrd is, plain and simply, corrupt and an embarrassment to the sport. And yet, the fight was engrossing and represented the best boxing has to offer, and both Golovkin and Canelo battled with every ounce of skill and effort worthy of their elite standings.