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SPORTS Saturday 16 September 2017

It’s on: Triple G and Canelo ready for big middleweight bout

By TIM DAHLBERG too young to take.
AP Boxing Writer Oddsmakers in this gam-
LAS VEGAS (AP) — It’s bling city have made
the kind of fight Gen- Golovkin a slight 7-5 fa-
nady Golovkin has been vorite, but the fighters
chasing from the mo- themselves say anything
ment he walked off an could happen.
airplane six years ago to “It’s not an easy fight
make his new home in for him or me,” Golovkin
Los Angeles. said. “I think the first cou-
It’s the fight boxing fans ple of rounds will be very
have been waiting for close. I think the second
almost as long. half will be much crazier,
Golovkin and Canelo like a street fight.”
Alvarez meet Saturday For Golovkin, the fight
night in a middleweight is the culmination of a
showdown that has long battle to establish
been brewing for years. himself as the top mid-
They do it in their prime, dleweight in the world.
and they both bring the Triple G came to the U.S.
kind of power that could in 2011 to pursue bigger
make for a night that will fights, and has collected
be talked about in box- Canelo Alvarez, left, and Gennady Golovkin pose during a weigh-in Friday, Sept. 15, 2017, in Las the major middleweight
ing for years to come. Vegas. The two are scheduled to fight in a middleweight title fight Saturday in Las Vegas. titles while trying to get
Three weeks after Floyd Associated Press Alvarez into the ring.
Mayweather Jr. and It finally happened after
Conor McGregor met in counterpuncher with a 160 pounds. and plenty of rewards — Golovkin (37-0, 33 knock-
an odd spectacle, box- style that should match “It all depends on who for both of their careers. outs) was forced to go
ing shows off its best side up perfectly against the lands the punch that “These are the fights that 12 rounds earlier this year
in a scheduled 12-round onrushing Golovkin. defines the fight and I define your career,” said against Danny Jacobs
fight that will pay both “I don’t back down,” Al- think Gennady is going Oscar De La Hoya, who in a fight where he got
men millions and make varez said. “I’m a coun- to do that,” said Abel promotes Alvarez. “Both hit a lot and barely es-
one of them the undis- ter puncher, and I like to Sanchez, Golovkin’s guys are not going to caped with a decision.
puted top 160-pounder fight.” trainer. “They’re going to back down.” Some in boxing thought
in the world. The combination of hit each other and give Alvarez is already an es- it showed some vulner-
“It’s a true fight,” Go- styles has boxing fans fans the kind of fight they tablished superstar, ar- ability or suggested that
lovkin said. “You can go salivating over what will want and expect.” guably the most popular at the age of 35 Triple G
back home or go to the happen in the same It won’t be the first time athlete in Mexico. Go- is getting a bit old.
hospital. It’s dangerous. ring where Mayweath- the two have met, but lovkin, who won a silver Nonsense, he says.
Everyone understands er stopped McGregor it will be under far dif- medal in the 2004 Olym- “I am the champion and
that.” three weeks ago. The ferent circumstances. pics, is hoping for the kind I bring all my belts,” Go-
Indeed they do, which fight quickly sold out and They sparred together at of performance that will lovkin said. “This is my
is one reason Golovkin is expected to do well Golovkin’s camp in Big finally win over fans not game, my fight. I am the
has had trouble getting on HBO pay-per-view, Bear, Calif., in 2011 as overly impressed by a boss, not Canelo.”
fighters in the ring with though it will not reach both were preparing for 23-fight knockout streak Golovkin, who speaks
him. The fearsome slug- the level of last month’s fights and, though ac- of 18 middleweight title limited English, backed
ger from Kazakhstan has spectacle. counts vary, both had defenses. his comments up with a
stopped almost every- Still, it promises to be their moments with each Between them they tweet warning Alvarez
one put in the ring with a can’t miss fight that other. have 86 wins, against what was yet to come.
him, winning all 37 of his brings back memories of But this is a real fight, with only one loss. That was “If you go in the ocean
fights, 33 by knockout. the great middleweights Golovkin’s titles at stake suffered by Alvarez (49- the shark knows,” he
But Alvarez packs power, of the 1980’s. Both fight- and a lot more. Both will 1-1, 34 knockouts) in 2013 wrote. “He’s home. It’s
too, and the red-head- ers weighed in Friday at make millions of dollars in against Mayweather in a the same for me in the
ed Mexican is a savage the middleweight limit of a fight that holds risks — fight he admitted he was ring. ... Let’s do it.”q