Before Gennadiy Golovkin can walk to the ring to his trademark "Seven Nation Army" by The White Stripes, we have to get through media week, and in the modern boxing landscape that means a lot of questions that don’t pertain to the fight itself.
“…it is very important for me, for my country, and for my legacy, because you know everyone thinks different when a close fight comes [SIC]…,” said Canelo Alvarez in a media scrum today. “…You think maybe I lost, he think no, I win, and that’s the close fights and I need to win this fight convincing [SIC].”
The undertone is simple. Canelo Alvarez hears the doubters. They’re very loud, if you get a Twitter account or Instagram they’re everywhere, and a lot of them doubt the draw in the first fight between Canelo vs. Golovkin, and many feel Canelo’s win in the second fight might have been suspicious as well.
It appears Canelo is entering the third fight to create the last memory that leaves no doubt over who the better fighter is.
“I am looking forward to going into the ring and I feel that I always feel those good vibes coming from the people of Mexico when I go into the ring so it’ll be no different,” said Canelo via a translator.
One thing is for sure. Canelo is a lot more reserved for this fight, and both Canelo and Golovkin got frustrated at the media, which is honestly understandable, but to see Golovkin reference the famous Roger Mayweather quote without saying, in “You don’t know [expletive] about boxing,” somewhat shows the times have changed. These are no longer two young vibrant fighters looking to make a name for themselves these are two fighters who are million dollar business before and after they enter the ring on Saturday night.
“Do you remember what Floyd [Mayweather] said,” Golovkin asked a group of reporters? “Hey guys, you are not understanding boxing, you are not completely understanding boxing.”
Golovkin taking a page from the Sergey Kovalev school of fighting, spoke strictly through a translator unless annoyed as he gave us the above quote in English, but did say regardless he has plans for the future hinting at fights across the world, and maybe even returning home to Kazakhstan in the future. Golovkin also reminded everyone he still holds world titles at middleweight as well.
The biggest takeaway. The two fighters seem on edge, more so than in any of the previous fights.
