Canelo Alvarez Says He'll Beat Gennady Golovkin Again If They Fight for 3rd Time

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez told reporters he's not interested in another bout with Gennady Golovkin but believes he would beat him again if fans call for them to fight a third time following his unanimous-decision win over Daniel Jacobs.

Canelo was asked about his rival after he bagged the unification win over Jacobs on Saturday, and he said a third fight against GGG will come down to the fans, per Sporting News:

The Mexican unified the middleweight titles in Las Vegas on Saturday, improving his official record to 52-1-2. Jacobs made him work for his win, with the final scorecards reading 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn thought a slow start cost Jacobs in a highly competitive fight:

Per Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook, Canelo's past two fights that went the distance, both against Golovkin, were mired in controversy. The two middleweight kings have met twice, with their first fight scored a draw and their second a majority-decision win for the Mexican.

Sporting News' Brendan Bradford collected reactions from the boxing world after the second fight, and many thought GGG was robbed twice.

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The rivalry between the two had been building for years prior to their fights. The two cleaned out the middleweight division but didn't come face-to-face for a long time. Canelo then failed two drug tests after their first bout, earning himself a six-month suspension and casting even more doubt over the result of their draw, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

The 37-year-old Golovkin hasn't fought since their second meeting in September but is set to face Steve Rolls at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8. Alvarez is 2-0 since their most recent fight, beating Rocky Fielding and now Jacobs.

By taking the IBF strap from the latter, he made Mexican boxing history:

The Ring ranks both middleweights in the top 10 of its pound-for-pound rankings, and fans never got a satisfactory ending to either of their fights. There will likely be calls for a third bout until one of them retires, even as Golovkin moves further from his prime.

He remains the biggest name in the middleweight division outside of Canelo, and a trilogy bout would likely be the most lucrative option for the unified champion. Billy Joe Saunders and rising star Jermall Charlo are other options.