Gennady Golovkin vs. Canelo Alvarez 2: Fight Odds, Time, Live Stream and TV Info

It's the rematch the boxing world wanted, never mind the controversy from the first fight. Gennady Golovkin will take on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on Saturday night in Las Vegas, 364 days after their wildly entertaining middleweight championship duel ended in a split draw. 

Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) is putting his IBO, WBA and WBC world middleweight titles on the line in this bout. It was four belts last time out, but the undefeated champion was stripped of his IBF title after failing to secure a fight with mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko. 

Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs), who has won world titles at both middleweight and light middleweight, is deserving of a rematch, but he will perhaps be facing more pressure and scrutiny than Golovkin on fight night. The 118-110 score awarded to him in the first fight by judge Adalaide Byrd was widely criticized—the other judges had it at 115-113 Golovkin and a 114-114 draw—and some felt Golovkin won the bout outright. 

Isaac Brekken/Associated Press

Alvarez will also be under the microscope for testing positive for a banned substance in February, which pushed this superfight back from its original May 5 date. 

Fans may blame Alvarez for making them wait for what promises to be another epic spectacle, but those hard feelings will melt away as soon as the two step into the ring Saturday night.

Here's what you need to know ahead of the fight.

Golovkin vs. Alvarez 2 Fight Info

When: Saturday, Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. ET

Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

TV: HBO pay-per-view

Live Stream: Fite.TV

Odds: Golovkin -155 (bet $155 to win $100), Alvarez +125 (bet $100 to win $125)

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com and updated as of Thursday, Sep. 13. 

The last time Golovkin was out was May 5, when he knocked out the wildly overmatched Vanes Martirosyan in the second round. Martirosyan was only in the ring to fill the vacancy left by the suspended Alvarez. It was a short, brutal bout, the kind that Golovkin essentially trademarked on his rise from unknown Kazakh clubber to the top of the pound-for-pound charts.

The 36-year-old possesses a near-mythic punching power, belied by his smiling, gentle disposition outside the ring. He combines that power with an iron chin, excellent technique and a willingness to stalk his opponent around the ring like a slasher from a horror film. Only five people have finished a bout with Golovkin, and only two of those five are significant. One is Daniel Jacobs, who may be indestructible, and the other is Alvarez.

Triple G may have looked the better fighter in their matchup, consistently getting the better of Canelo when he retreated to the ropes in the middle rounds, but hearing the final bell with Golovkin trying to rearrange the circuitry inside your head is a special feat. 

Alvarez, who hasn't fought since the split draw, is a brilliant counter-puncher, strong defensively and has plenty of power in his own right (see: Amir Khan). While Golovkin is still undefeated, Alvarez has just one loss in his career, against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013. The 28-year-old Mexican is as good as it gets at this level of the sport, and he will look to outwit and outlast Golovkin Saturday night. He will have to do so carefully.

Golovkin appears hellbent on destroying Alvarez. He's pulled no punches with his pre-fight comments, calling out Alvarez for his suspension and his excuse that the positive came from tainted meat.

"He looks like a first-grade kid who was caught, and he didn’t know what to say," Golovkin said, per Sports Illustrated's Greg Bishop. "He says all these stupid things. He's a fake. He shows a lack of respect. For boxing. For sports."

Golovkin has even gone so far as to say there were "injection marks" on Alvarez's skin that he noticed during their first fight, per Metro's Coral Barry.

Alvarez may not sit as comfortably at 160 pounds as the powerful Golovkin, but he's promising he will be the same fighter fans saw nearly upset the champion one year ago, per BBC Sport:

It will be yet another massive test for both fighters. A nice roundup from CBS Sports' Brian Campbell shows a few more of their contemporaries picking Golovkin in this one, though many see it going Alvarez's way this time out (and let's not even contemplate the meltdown that would occur if there was somehow another draw). 

Golovkin is out to prove he's one of the best to ever mix it up at middleweight, despite the fact his resume was short on quality opponents up until a few years ago. For Alvarez, it's an opportunity to own the sport of boxing right when he's in his athletic prime. No test will be tougher, or more rewarding, for either fighter.