Staff Picks: Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II
On the cusp of the most anticipated fight of the year, the Sunday Puncher staff offers our visions of how Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin will play out in the ring.
Gleb Kuzin:
When you look back into the history of boxing, the counter-puncher almost always does better in a rematch. Canelo is clearly the counter-puncher between the two, but does he have enough of an edge? Canelo has benefited from generous scoring in all of his big fights and, even though he has grown from those experiences and progressed greatly, he still has an entrenched record of tough fights against slightly-above-average champions. Boxing pundits often speak of Canelo as if he’s a generational talent, but the truth is — he isn’t. He’s got some exceptional physical attributes but, when you look beyond his flashy upper body movement and crisp counters, he lacks the consistency needed to legitimately win rounds at the championship level. Meanwhile, Golovkin is just old. And this is the only reason I prefer Canelo to win the rematch. Because he’s fighting a grandpa.
John Cudney:
I scored the first fight 8-to-4 in GGG’s favor and I was one of the many who was shocked when the official scores were read. Golovkin was robbed of a win on his record, and Canelo was gifted an extra chance at preserving his superstardom. Here we are one year later and one year older, and both fighters will need to make adjustments in the rematch. Canelo will need fight more consistently throughout each round, and Golovkin will need to blunt Canelo when unleashes offensive spurts. I tab Golovkin to make the better adjustments and win the rematch by a similar margin this time around, except this time he’ll actually get the official decision. Given the level of scrutiny applied to the judging in the first fight, I believe the judges to give the benefit of the doubt to the Kazakh this time around, and that will make all the difference in what will surely be another close fight.
Ryan Guido:
The time has finally come for Canelo and GGG to settle their unfinished business. I expect this fight to be just as close and exciting as the first. Canelo will again land flashy combinations and Golovkin will control the pace of the fight behind his stiff jab. I think Golovkin will come out more hungry and confident than the first fight, winning the early rounds he lost in the first. Canelo will look great in his moments, but it will come down to Golovkin’s consistent output and ring generalship. It shall be very close again but GGG get’s the nod 7–5. Golovkin by UD.
Leo:
I’ve been looking forward to this fight just as much as the rest of the boxing fandom. A great clash of styles against top tier talents and a storyline fueled by bitter sentiments (whether real or contrived) should make for fireworks this Saturday. The only thing that has really changed in my view is Golovkin’s age. “Mexican style” takes a toll on fighters and I think that Golovkin’s age will show. Reynoso hinted during an interview that they spent the majority of camp working on movement and creating openings with Canelo’s feet while keeping his boxing skills sharp against heavy-handed sparring partners. Golovkin is relentless, but Canelo’s counters will be on point and will make Golovkin abandon the body attack (which is his best bet to win). A gun-shy Golovkin will eat counters more and more as the night goes on and Canelo won’t need Adelaide Byrd to sweep it on the cards: Canelo, Decision. #AndNew
Fred Garvin:
The first fight was a clear Canelo win. Despite all the uproar over the draw I saw one clear pattern in the fight. Canelo, the smaller fighter, was willing to stand and trade with the middleweight destroyer Golovkin. But when Canelo landed body shots, it was Golovkin who wheeled away from contact. When have we ever seen GGG pull away? But boxing punditry has always rested on hating the financially successful fighters so a draw was seen as a robbery for GGG and not the better boxer in Canelo. So I think this rematch hinges on how the judges react to the pressure to “get it right” in the rematch. When the pundits cried how Castillo was robbed against Mayweather, we saw that rematch get scored far too close in a clear Mayweather boxing lesson. This fight has happened too soon for it to be anything but a copy of the first fight. Canelo has a the superior boxing and can trade with Golovkin. If the judges score true then it’s a Canelo decision. Golovkin’s hopes rest on a KO or the judges spotting him three rounds in a misguided attempt to correct the record. I’m still rolling with Cinnamon though. Canelo Decision
Jovan Sharpe:
As the younger fighter, Canelo should have a greater capacity for growth. His style has evolved over time & I expect that flexibility to give him an edge in the rematch. Golovkin’s inability to cut off the ring will aid the lateral movement of Alvarez. Unlike last time where he primarily sat back & waited for counters, Canelo will up his volume. Expect Canelo to meet Golovkin in the center of the ring & land signature shots more often than the last fight. Despite me having GGG winning the previous bout, I think Canelo can refine & improve his previous performance to earn a comfortable decision.
Parold from South London:
I don’t see too much changing this time around however Triple G will edge the bout more decisively than last time. He has felt what Canelo has to offer and this, along with the heated build-up, will serve as motivation to attack earlier (especially to the body) instead of giving up the earlier rounds. Triple G’s solid jab and relentless pressure will be able to throw Canelo off of his timing making it harder for him to counter as effectively. In addition to this, I see Golovkin now going to the body more will be the key to his victory. Canelo will always fight how Canelo does and end up emptying his gas tank which will hurt him as there is no magic formula for stamina and activity that he could’ve obtained over this past year and as a result of this, he will suffer the second official loss of his career. Golovkin by unanimous decision.
Pyotr Vrangel:
As we saw in the first fight, this will be yet another highly technical bout between two evenly matched fighters. Their styles mesh extremely well, and both fighters will have ample opportunities to fight better than they did in the first. I firmly believe that they, yet again, will fight to a draw where both fighters have arguments for the decision win, but are so skillful that neither will conclusively seperate himself from the other.
The Chief:
The only prediction that matters is the one we make for the night of May 4th, 2019 when the score is settled once and for all.
Final Tally: 4–4–1 (with 1 no contest), a Split Draw! Wow, for a second week in a row we have it too close to call. Hopefully the actual fight will have more decisive outcome. Tune in on Saturday night to watch Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin duke it out in this year’s biggest and most significant matchup.
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