The final fight of the trilogy between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin failed to live up to the hype as the Mexican star controlled the contest from bell-to-bell for a convincing unanimous decision triumph.
After a draw in their first matchup – which most fight fans feel should have been a win for Golovkin – and another controversial majority decision win for Alvarez in the rematch, this was a decisive end to the rivalry even if the scorecards ended up close.
Two of the three judges scored the bout 115-113 for Alvarez, meaning they had him winning seven rounds to five, although there was a strong argument that Alvarez comfortably won the first eight rounds of the fight before coasting to the finish.
It was a disappointing showing for the 40-year-old Golovkin, who was once one of the most feared power punchers in the sport and arguably the better boxer for the first two fights of the trilogy, but he failed to ever threaten the 32-year-old Alvarez, who was noticeably faster with both his hands and his feet.
The loss moves Golovkin's record to 42-2-1 – with both of his losses and his draw coming against Alvarez – having entered the rivalry at a perfect 37-0.
For Alvarez, he is now 58-2-2, bouncing back from his second career loss in his last fight when he tried to jump up multiple weight classes and collect another world title, ultimately being outpointed by the much larger Dmitry Bivol.
Alvarez made a guaranteed $45million for Saturday's finale to the trilogy, and that will likely climb over $60m once his cut of the pay-per-views are factored in. Golovkin, on the 'B-side' of the draw, will pocket $20m guaranteed plus a smaller share of the pay-per-view buys.
Jamaica Boxing Board and J.Wray & Nephew partner on new community boxing series
The Jamaica Boxing Board (JBB) and J. Wray and Nephew Overproof Rum have partnered to stage an eight-month boxing series for amateur and professional boxers with the first bout on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at Cling Cling Oval in Kingston.
The program is designed to create a dynamic platform that enables elite amateur boxers to refine their skills in preparation for international competitions while simultaneously providing professional athletes an opportunity to launch and cultivate their careers in front of their home crowd.
Stephen Jones, President of the Jamaica Boxing Board (JBB) believes the initiative will help re-invigorate the sport in the country.
“By combining our shared vision and expertise, we are confident that this partnership will facilitate the growth and development of boxing in Jamaica, create exciting opportunities for our boxers and continue to positively impact the communities we serve,” Jones said.
“It is only natural to align ourselves with the company that not only helped kick-start this movement but also possesses the means, vision, and determination to actualize our goals of expanding the footprint of boxing both locally and worldwide.”
Meanwhile, J. Wray & Nephew Limited’s Marketing Manager Pavel Smith is elated that the partnership will provide an opportunity for Jamaicans to support the careers of local boxers.
“Jamaica has a love affair with boxing and Wray & Nephew remains a bedrock in the advancement of the sport in Jamaica,” he said.
“This series gives our talented boxers more opportunities to increase their visibility and fight counts that will, in turn, make them contenders for larger global opportunities.”
The new boxing platform offers talented boxers more than just local recognition. It aims to empower participants to chart a course that leads them all the way to the prestigious world titles. In addition to showcasing boxing talent, the series will foster community cohesion as the fights will be held in communities on a rotational basis every six weeks.
The JBB’s overarching vision has always been to establish Jamaica as a hub for international boxing.
Jones explained that, “We firmly believe that once this endeavor takes flight and garners momentum, ProAm shows will become an enduring fixture in our annual calendar, further solidifying Jamaica's reputation as a global boxing destination.”
On this day in 2014: Carl Froch knocks out George Groves in Wembley rematch
Carl Froch knocked out George Groves in their rematch at Wembley Stadium on this day in 2014 as the Nottingham fighter retained his WBA and IBF super-middleweight titles.
Froch added to his victory in the initial bout in Manchester the previous November, in which he had recovered from a first-round knockdown and terrible start to stop Groves controversially in the ninth.
This time he finished the contest with a breathtaking eighth-round punch which knocked Groves out in front of a crowd of 80,000.
Froch said afterwards: “I showed tonight why I’m a four-time champion of the world, why I’ve defended my world title 13 times on the spin.
“I am amongst the best fighters in the world – that’s who George Groves was in there with tonight.
“The finish of that (fight) showed why I’ve mixed with the elite for many years and how hard it is to get to that level.”
He added: “I am feeling unbelievably elated. This is the best moment in the history of my boxing career.”
Groves made a solid start to the contest which began cagily, with neither fighter wanting to give anything away. Froch was patient, waiting for his opening and Groves struggled to keep pace as the fight wore on.
“I knew it was only going to take a couple of big right hands to the chin and I timed it perfectly,” Froch said.
Groves said: “It’s boxing and fair play to Carl, he caught me and I went down. Obviously I felt I was doing very well in the fight, I was in my groove and I was boxing well but it’s boxing.
“I’ll come back bigger, better and stronger. Ultimately I feel like I let myself down but congratulations to Carl, fair play, he got the punch.”
It proved the last fight for Froch – aged 36 at the time – before retirement, with him hanging up his gloves with a professional record of 35 bouts, 33 wins and two defeats, 24 of the victories coming by knockout.
On This Day in 2016: Tony Bellew wins WBC world cruiserweight title
Tony Bellew won the vacant WBC world cruiserweight title against Ilunga Makabu at Goodison Park on this day in 2016.
Fighting at the home of his beloved Toffees, the Everton fan put on a show, claiming the belt with a third-round knockout.
Makabu had entered the fight as the bookmakers’ favourite and started well, sending Bellew to the canvas in the opening round with a left-hand shot.
However, the Liverpudlian quickly recovered with a barrage of combinations in the third round to floor Makabu.
The win meant Bellew won a world title at the third time of asking after previous bouts at light-heavyweight against Nathan Cleverly and Adonis Stevenson ended in defeat.
Bellew, who played ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan in Sylvester Stallone’s film Creed, admitted he had “achieved a dream”.
“I am Everton, and that’s why I got up. Nothing was going to stop me tonight,” he said.
“I’ve achieved a dream tonight, all those people who said I couldn’t do it, well I’ve done it. I’m world champion, that’s what I am!
“The last time I saw something like that I was in a Hollywood movie, now it’s real. I’ve lived the dream tonight. I am the best cruiserweight in the world, I have proven it tonight.”
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
