Canelo-GGG 2: Alvarez vs. Golovkin rematch preview, prediction

Their first fight was a draw, but Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin are eager to determine who’s the better man. Here’s FanSided’s pick to win the bout.

In September of 2017, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin fought to an entertaining stalemate. Each man thought they deserved the victory, but it was a genuinely close fight. This pairing has produced drama ever since. Hopefully, their soap opera of a feud will conclude on Saturday, Sept. 15.

A draw in the first fight didn’t shock fans. What did take the air out of people’s lungs was Adalaide Byrd’s scoring of the bout:118 to 110 for Alvarez. It was an absurd score that forever tarnished Byrd’s legacy as a judge.

A rematch was planned for May 5 of this year, which aimed to take advantage of Alvarez’s Mexican fanbase on Cinco de Mayo. It was the perfect scenario until Alvarez surprisingly tested positive for Clenbuterol. If testing positive for a banned substance wasn’t bad enough, Alvarez compounded the issue when he offered his defense: tainted meat.

Yes, Alvarez claimed he ate tainted meat in Mexico which is supposedly known to be contaminated with Clenbuterol. The fight was off, and Alvarez was suspended for six months.

Golovkin and his trainer pointed their fingers at Alvarez, saying he’s a drug cheat. Technically they’re right. Alvarez ingested a PED and tested positive, yet somehow the truth upset Alvarez.

Alvarez and Golovkin did no face-to-face promotion for their rematch. Alvarez was too offended by Golovkin and his team’s callout for testing positive for a PED. The only time they appeared together was on a Facebook conference call in July.

Since then, numerous press conferences, media calls and films have aired building up the rematch between Alvarez and Golovkin. It’s been a great PR campaign, but there’s real emotion behind it, at least for Alvarez.

Golovkin is cool, calm and collected. Alvarez has acted like a hothead for months. What’s the source of Alvarez’s anger? It can’t be roid rage. He hasn’t eaten any contaminated cow meat since April.

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The simple truth is that Alvarez is emotionally immature. He’s a genius in the ring, but his attitude outside of it is childish. He portrayed himself as the victim on HBO’s 24/7 even though he’s the one that failed a drug test. He’s never taken responsibility for his actions. He pretended to take responsibility a month ago when he told ESPN that it “was my mistake for not reading up on the risks.”

Analyze that statement for a second. Alvarez claimed he didn’t read up on the risks of eating Mexican meat. Who reads up on the risks of eating a steak? Apparently, Alvarez isn’t all that smart either.

Despite his lack of maturity, and possibly intelligence, Alvarez is one of the world’s best boxers. His first performance against Golovkin proved that. In that fight, Alvarez demonstrated that he can take Golovkin’s best punch and that he has faster hands than GGG.

Canelo is the better technical boxer. Golovkin is skilled, but Alvarez’s kinesthetic awareness is well ahead of Golovkin’s. There’s a lot to like about Alvarez as a boxer. He’s also eight years younger than GGG.

Boxing experts like Teddy Atlas are picking Alvarez to defeat Golovkin. Atlas knows his stuff. He was a pupil of the legendary Cus D’Amato and pushed boxers like Michael Moorer to achieve more than they ever thought they could. The problem is that guys like Atlas use film and surface-level logic to guide all their thoughts. They sometimes miss the small things that can lead to big things.

Canelo had cartilage in his knee repaired back in April. He hasn’t had a lot of time to recover, and he’s worn a brace on his right knee ever since. It could be precautionary, but his knee may never be the same again. If his knee isn’t 100 percent, he’s not going to be able to move away for Golovkin as he did in the first fight. His punching power may also be compromised.

If he did use PEDs in their first fight, then he’s not going to be as powerful in the rematch. Many have commented on Alvarez’s more diminutive appearance.

Golovkin looks like he’s in better shape than the first fight. He tasted Alvarez’s best and knows that he needs to elevate his game to defeat Alvarez. Canelo has massively improved throughout his career, but he’s hit the high water mark. He gave GGG everything he had in the first fight. He’s young and vivacious, but he doesn’t have another level left in him.

Golovkin at 36 years old should be on the downswing of his career, but he’s never had an opponent like Alvarez. Daniel Jacobs pushed him, but Canelo took him to the brink in their first fight and he still came out strong on the other side.

Golovkin’s entire career has come down to this fight. He’s traveled a long road, and it’s coming to an end. His power and heart will pull him through this litmus test. Golovkin’s days are numbered, which is why he’s going to give more in this fight. He’s desperate and fighting against time in addition to Alvarez.

Alvarez’s armor is cracked, but experts like Atlas haven’t picked up on it. Golovkin is going to widen those blemishes with every punch he throws. Canelo has speed and skill, but GGG has power and desperation. He knows that this could be his last huge fight. Alvarez is too young to consider retirement.

Next. Canelo vs. GGG 2: What Golovkin can do to win. dark

Golovkin’s age is a detriment physically, but it’s an asset mentally. Alvarez still has a lot to learn about life and how to control his emotions. The rematch will be similar to the first fight except Golovkin’s wisdom is going to widen the gap on the scorecards. Alvarez’s anger will lead to mistakes and Golovkin will be there to exploit them. Canelo thinks he has the game of boxing figured out, but the elder statesman Golovkin will set him straight over 12 rounds. It will go to the cards, but GGG will get the victory that Adalaide Byrd stole in 2017.

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Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin 2 preview and prediction

By Jeremy Herriges | Sep 14, 2018

Their first fight was a draw, but Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin are eager to determine who’s the better man. Here’s FanSided’s pick to win the bout.