Saul "Canelo" Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin III preview

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin have indicated they are ready to take steps to stage the third fight of their heated rivalry.

Here’s what to look out for ahead of the clash between these middleweight titans.

Canelo has opened as the favorite

For the first time in the trilogy, Alvarez is favored to win. This comes as no surprise, considering Alvarez is coming off of a violent knockout of Sergey Kovalev in his last fight and is clearly in his prime.

Golovkin found himself on the fortunate side of a questionable decision, after he was taken to the limit by Serhiy Derevianchenko, and is two fights removed from his loss to Alvarez.

In each of their previous two encounters, Alvarez opened as the underdog, but it looks like the tables have turned.

Boxing pundits who worshiped Golovkin, as he tore through no hopers, have been silent about his uneven performances against versatile foes who have a game plan. Golovkin’s near misses against Daniel Jacobs and Derevianchenko, as well as his ability to overpower a transitioning junior middleweight in Alvarez, is a sign Golovkin’s trademark aggression has a ceiling.

Nearing the age of 40 and clearly slowing down, Golovkin would have to find a gear he didn’t have in the Alvarez rematch to pull off what would now be an upset.

Geriatric Gennady Golovkin

Golovkin has shown a dramatic lack of a body attack in these big fights and no sign of evolution, compared to Alvarez. Perhaps it’s age or wear on the tires, but the version of Golovkin we saw in the Derevianchenko fight will stand no match against Alvarez now.

There is the possibility Golovkin’s familiarity with Alvarez may take some guessing out of it, but Golovkin’s style has shown no change, even with trainer Jonathan Banks.

If Golovkin has slowed down and relies on the previous strategy that Alvarez will somehow succumb to his pressure, Alvarez is going to deck him just as hard as he did Kovalev. It would be a massive statement for Alvarez to end this trilogy with authority, and considering how little he likes Golovkin, he’s going to go for it.

Canelo has too many tools for Golovkin

Since their first fight, Alvarez has evolved into a complete fighter, who is far beyond what Golovkin can handle. There is a chance the constant fluxes in weight could compromise Alvarez’s conditioning, but he is a natural middleweight, with plenty left in the tank, and has confidence.

Now more than ever, Golovkin is outgunned and simply too far past his best to stand a chance. While a stoppage is enticing, Alvarez is going to win this one going away and close the book on their rivalry for good.

Boxing free pick: Canelo Alvarez

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