Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez: Odds, TV Schedule, Live Stream and More
It might not be the fight that will capture the attention of mainstream sports fans, but the bout between Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night is appointment viewing for combat sports fans and the kind of event that can restore a bit of faith in boxing.
Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) is a crusher, boasting the kind of fearsome power that has led him to a so-far undefeated career with a staggering 89 percent knockout rate.
Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) has all-around talent, a great counterpunching game and mass appeal. Both he and Golovkin are two of the premier draws in the sport and two of the best pound-for-pound fighters.
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It can be difficult sometimes for boxers at or near the peak of their respective powers to meet in the ring, as business interests, injuries, promoters and the various boxing organizations can prevent some of those marquee matchups from ever taking place.
But when Golovkin and Alvarez step in the ring Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with multiple middleweight world championships on the line, fight fans can be secure in knowing that perhaps the best fight that can be made right now is taking place.
Golovkin vs. Alvarez Viewing Info
When: Saturday, September 16
Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
TV: HBO pay-per-view ($79.99)
Live Stream: CaneloGGG.com ($79.99)
Tickets: ScoreBig.com
As of Saturday at 7 a.m ET, Golovkin is a -160 favorite, Alvarez a slight +130 underdog, per OddsShark.com. There are easily identifiable paths to victory for either fighter. Golovkin is an incredibly powerful puncher, especially when he connects with his right hand. He's capable of knocking any fighter out of a bout early.
The 35-year-old Kazakh went on a 23-bout stoppage streak that spanned roughly nine years before Daniel Jacobs managed to survive 12 rounds with him back in March.
Jacobs was unable to stay up for the entire fight, suffering a fourth-round knockdown, but he showed it's possible to fight Golovkin without getting annihilated, and he even outboxed his opponent in a few rounds.
That said, Golovkin's gift will make things difficult for Alvarez, as he can ruin a fight strategy by hurting his opponents early with one of the sharpest jabs in the business. From there, it's a matter of developing jabs into power punches.
Of course, Alvarez is a better quality opponent than anyone Golovkin has faced. The 27-year-old Mexican has beaten the likes of Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan and Shane Mosley.
In his most recent fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Alvarez just about made the sport look easy, comfortably controlling the fight for all 12 rounds en-route to a resounding unanimous-decision victory. The only disappointment in his display was that he didn't find a way to finish a spiritless Chavez off early.
Alvarez will be wary of Golovkin's power, as the latter is known for fighting at higher weight limits. Then again, Alvarez has claimed he is not afraid of his illustrious opponent.
"When I was born, all of the fear had already been given out," he said through a translator, per The Guardian's Bryan Armen Graham. "I'm going to show him who Canelo really is."
If Alvarez can stay out of range of Golovkin's jab and stymie any of Triple G's forward marches in close, he has the timing and skill to counter Golovkin and bank enough rounds to get the judges to award him a victory.
All this isn't to say that Golovkin can't win on points—he did exactly that against Jacobs, showing he can box well in the later rounds he so rarely sees—and Alvarez can't win by stoppage. A few expertly timed power punches and it's possible that Alvarez puts Golovkin on the back foot, perhaps even sending him to the canvas.
There's plenty for fight fans to ponder in the buildup to this bout. No matter what, the winner will have the most significant victory of their career and will be pushed to even greater heights in the world of combat sports.
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