GGG-Canelo Alvarez Predictions: Who You Got?
While the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight last month turned out to be a better match than many expected, the simple truth is that matchup was hyped more by the curiosity than the actual boxing appeal.
Saturday, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fights Gennady “GGG” Golovkin in the same T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and this matchup is hyped by the incredible boxing appeal.
The middleweights are two of the best boxers going right now. Golovkin, 35, goes into the fight with a 37-0 record and 33 of his victories have come via knockout. Alvarez, 27, is 49-1-1 with 34 knockouts.
Mayweather is the only boxer to defeat Alvarez and that was four years ago.
Who will win Saturday? We asked a variety of media members, inside our offices and out, and the opinions vary wildly.
Who do you think will win? Make your pick in our poll below.
Canelo, TKO.
These two will give us the power-punching exhibition we're all expecting, but Canelo's hits—especially to the body—will be too much for the 35-year-old GGG to handle as the later rounds hit. The pride of Mexico will ultimately end up securing the TKO win, more than likely somewhere around the 10th round.
GGG, 11th round knockout.
Alvarez is younger and faster and will give Golovkin a difficult fight, but GGG will control the early rounds with his jab, survive through some tough middle rounds when Canelo brings the pressure, and then use his guile, endurance and peerless power to secure a late-round knockout.
Canelo Alvarez Stopping Traffic Amidst Preparation for GGG Clash
GGG by knockout.
Golovkin is the more powerful fighter, and he has faced higher-quality opposition, making him more experienced and more capable.
GGG by decision.
While he didn't look fantastic in his most recent outing, Golovkin has an edge in one-punch power that I expect will be the difference in an otherwise close fight.
GGG by decision.
I suspect this will be one of the better fights of my lifetime and very close. I think GGG’s experience will give him an extremely slight edge and I would not be shocked to be wrong on this one.
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Jeff MacGregor, member of the Boxing Writers Association of America
GGG by split decision.
Fight of the Year, much too close to call, as two knockout kings fail to knock each other out.
Bryan Armen Graham, The Guardian
GGG by decision.
This is a competitive fight early, but the heavier-handed Golovkin's pace and pressure will make the difference as he punctuates a career-defining win with a late knockdown.
Adam Abramowitz, Saturday Night Boxing
GGG by majority decision.
I think that Golovkin's jab will be the difference in the fight, with GGG keeping Canelo at distance long enough to squeak by in a very competitive match.
Canelo by decision
Alvarez and Golovkin will exchange plenty of knockout punches, but neither will go down, so Alvarez’s defense and counter-punching will be the difference in getting him the decision.
Thom Loverro, The Washington Times
GGG by 10th-round TKO
I know Alvarez has the edge with hand speed, but I don't think he will be able to hold off the bigger Golovkin and his power.
Canelo by majority decision
I think this is about two things for Canelo: One, timing. Canelo enters this one in peak condition, both physically and age wise. If there is a time to beat GGG its now. Two, I think his flexibility as a fighter will help him. The fact that he can be a counter puncher as well as brawler will help. He doesn’t want to get into an all-out brawl with GGG cause Golokvin’s power can knock him out. But if he plays on his speed and the energy of the crowd (which on Mexican independence day, the arena will basically feel like Estadio Azteca), he could do this. It's going to be incredibly tough, but not impossible.
