Welcome back fight fans to another video here on The Fight Game.
In boxing, all great boxers require one thing to catapult them to the pinnacle of the sport.
A worthy adversary.
Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin are two boxers who have circled eachother for years,
who seemed to be one anothers worthy adversary.
It's one of the most problematic rivalries we've seen to be produced by boxing, a rivalry
which once before offered the hope of glamour, only to be
tarnished with controversy, distaste and revulsion.
He got to quit hiding behind the flag and fight Triple G!
It wasn't supposed to be like this, but if there's any sport in the world capable of
mutilating the greatest of sagas, it's boxing.
A rivalry which stemmed from years of hypothesizing, fantasizing, and glorifying.
The first chapter began long before they met in the ring, years back when the fanbases
of both fighters clashed in the most provoking of ways.
For a rivalry based on physical violence, there sure
are lots of intangibles that make part of the Canelo Golovkin storyline.
Canelo, answer me this.
Is it fair to say that it took too long?
However we've come to realize that these violent delights have violent ends, what was supposed
to give us an answer has left us more unsatisfied than ever.
This is business, this is not sport right now.
This is show, this is business, you know a little bit different situation.
What was supposed to be simple, is more complicated and messy than one could ever have imagined.
Welcome to this video here on the Fight Game, where we take a deep look at the epic rivalry
between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
Before we start the video, a huge thanks to all of you for the continued support on the
channel.
It's greatly appreciated and the ultimate aim
of bringing the sport of boxing closer together remains as fundamental and as clear as ever.
Talk of a potential superfight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin really began
when Canelo defeated Miguel Cotto to become a world middleweight champion.
However Canelo would not opt to fight Golovkin straight away, and believed time was needed
before he could mature into the 160 pound division.
As time progressed, he chose Amir Khan and Liam Smith.
Oscar De La Hoya believed the fight needed time to marinate.
However fans were rightfully getting impatient with the time it
was taking, and many went to call Canelo scared.
However after defeating Chavez Junior, the megafight was on.
Am I to understand that the deal is done, that there will be a fight between you two
in September of this year?
Yes sir - yes sir.
As Canelo and Golovkin prepared, fans speculated in hype and anticipation not seen in boxing
since the megafight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
And soon it was time for the moment fans of the boxing world have waited so long for.
The boxing world and press is essentially split down the middle in terms of who they
think will win the fight.
But everyone agrees - we have a potential classic on your hands.
And partially because it's a mouth-watering seemingly cant-miss style matchup between
the acknowledged number 1 go-forward attacker in the sport Golovkin, and the sport's best
high-pressure aggressive counter-puncher in Canelo Alvarez.
The fight started as you would expect, with tensions high and both fighters cautiously
inspecting one another.
Canelo in the first 10 seconds was on the back foot,
telling us that he wants to make this a boxing clinic.
We have never before seen Canelo with lateral footwork like this, Canelo soon rolled Golovkin's
right hand off his shoulder in a move I like to call
the sidestep.
After more caution from both fighters, Canelo quickly slipped and countered to the body,
investing in slowing down Golovkin from the very first round.
Golovkin brought an incredible jab to the ring, disrupting Canelo's attacks and building
up a tally of landed punches, however in the first round Canelo may have had the
more eye-catching strikes.
Round 2 saw Canelo invest more in attacking Golovkin's body in the hopes to slow him down
as the fight progressed.
However Golovkin's jab would prove to be an effective
barrier to this gameplan.
Golovkin began to find a target for the right hand, but Canelo's body-punching was being
implemented effectively, surprising Golovkin.
The following round saw Golovkin up the pace, letting go of his incredible jab, and Canelo
continued to invest in the body, however both fighters also showed incredible
defensive moves.
As the fight progressed, it was Golovkin who was the aggressor, his jabs began to land
with an increased level of accuracy and validity.
Canelo was never going to fold in a moment like this, and it was no surprise
to see Canelo land sharp punches in return, all be it in the midst of the momentum-increasing
attacks of Golovkin.
Golovkin landed mostly jabs, with Canelo landing mostly power shots.
Canelo sidestepped another right-hand from Golovkin, and then rested against the ropes.
Canelo is often very comfortable resting on the ropes, but
resting on the ropes doesn't win fights.
Golovkin knew not to fall for any traps, and picked Canelo off from a distance without
committing entirely to a combination.
In round 4 it finally appeared that Golovkin was beginning to land hard, and effectively.
As the fight approached the middle stages the dynamic had evolved to a stage where Canelo
spent most of his time on the ropes, rolling and defending against Golovkin's cautious
but continuous attacks.
Canelo left many of Golovkin's attacks unanswered, leaving Golovkin take a heavy lead in total
punches landed.
Canelo now on the back foot with Golovkin cutting him down.
Soon Golovkin would land the cleanest and hardest punch so far.
Canelo unimpressed, shakes his head.
Canelo then comes back with his own combination, with both
fighters closing out the round with fans eager to see the fire that's yet to explode.
As we enter the second half of the fight Golovkin began to land the much cleaner shots, pushing
Canelo back to the ropes.
Canelo found some success when he stood toe-to-toe with
Golovkin, but he would find it difficult to suppress the pressure.
Against the ropes the main highlight for Canelo was his defensive skills.
As tensions rose between both fighters Canelo playfully threw a punch behind his
back during a clinch, then Golovkin returned with a cheeky one of his own.
Canelo presented a very difficult target for Golovkin to hit.
He was extremely elusive against the ropes, but he found little luck in countering because
of Golovkin's cautioned approach with his jab.
As the fight approached the latter stages it appeared that Canelo's body shots had been
ineffective in slowing Golovkin down, who continued to pressure Canelo, who ended up
finding a counter for a right uppercut.
Canelo was getting tired, and being a mexican warrior he went fight over flight and preferred
standing toe-to-toe with Golovkin, and Canelo actually
ended up finding most of his success when he brought the fight to Golovkin.
Canelo rolling to the left was the perfect anti-dote to Golovkin's looping right hand.
Round 9 saw Canelo and Golovkin have an incredible exchange in the corner, Golovkin landed a
right, Canelo returned with a right of his own which was slipped, but a second left hook
caught Golovkin who was coming back up.
Soon we saw Canelo land one of the cleanest punches of his career.
Golovkin, seemed unbothered, truly telling Canelo that there's no way this train is stopping.
As we enter the championship rounds we saw Canelo show warrior heart and start unload
incredible fast combinations, the fight had now changed massively, with Canelo being the
one to land.
However it would not last long as Canelo's fire quickly went out, and Golovkin would
be the one to come back.
The round ended with both fighters pushing one another back.
2 rounds left to go.
Golovkin with a clear lead however make no mistake in thinking Canelo didn't have his
spots of incredible action thus far.
Canelo lands clean again, Golovkin still walking through Canelo's best punches.
Such heart, such grit, both fighters showing they have a great chin.
We go into the 12th and final round, Canelo lands clean, then lands another combination.
It's been all Canelo so far in this round but now it was Golovkin's turn.
The crowd roared as the fight approached the end.
Golovkin's jab had been a determining factor the whole fight and it remained effective
right to the very last round.
10 seconds left to go, Canelo and Golovkin give it everything, standing in the center
of the ring.
What a sensational fight between 2 of the most sensational boxers in the middleweight
division.
It was now time to go to the scorecards, many felt Golovkin had won by dominating the middle
rounds, but Canelo may have picked up a couple of rounds with his flashy combinations in
the start and end of the fight.
Then we saw one of the most controversial scorecards in boxing history.
Adalaide Byrd scores it 118-110, for Canelo.
With one of the other judges giving the fight to Golovkin, and the other scoring it a draw,
resulting in the fight ending with no winner or loser.
In the first rounds I came out to see what he had.
But then I started building, I won 7-8 rounds easily.
Of course I want a rematch.
I want to fight, I want to fight.
As you would expect, the fans were not happy.
Years of hype and anticipation only for it to end in what many would call a robbery.
The stigma surrounding the scorecard would later cloud how incredible
the fight was, instead of thinking about how both fighters showed incredible skill, will
and heart, it was now associated with what many
considered inept judging.
However the main purpose of this video is to highlight the incredibility of the fight,
so while most fans consider the decision to be the wrong decision, the
main point here is to acknowledge the skill both fighters brought to the bout to produce
an epic event for all the fans.
As the aftermath unfolded fans were understandably upset, but the fight had also shown how even
a match they were, although Golovkin may have won more rounds, it had been
a close fight.
And so as the the story goes, a rematch was finalized.
The questions before the first fight were still speculated in the promotion of the second
fight.
The rematch was set to take place in May.
Canelo and Golovkin were both adamant that they were going to show who should have won
the first time around.
Of course the build-up heavily consisted of references back to the first
fight.
Golovkin's camp had felt Canelo ran, and that the fight would have been much more entertaining
if he had fought more aggressively.
Canelo of course felt different.
As both fighters continued in preparation for their May megafight, a shocking revelation
would soon be made public.
Canelo Alvarez had tested positive for the banned substance
Clenbuterol.
Fans and media were quick to jump on the story.
Due diligence followed with an investigation into the test, and on April 3rd Canelo announced
that he was withdrawing from the fight.
The intricacies are as follows.
Urine samples taken from Canelo on February 17th and 20th by the Voluntary Anti-Doping
Association, also known as VADA, had tested positive for trace
amounts of clenbuterol.
Clenbuterol is often taken by athletes for muscle gain and fat loss.
However the amount of clenbuterol found would be a hot topic in deciding if Canelo had taken
the substance intentionally.
In Mexico Clenbuterol is used as a growth promoting substance in animal husbandry to
make the animals larger.
Over the past few decades many countries whom exercised this ritual have seen athletes test
for the banned substance because the meat they were eating was contaminated.
Canelo, at the time of the test, was in Mexico.
The amount found, which was trace amounts, would not often be consistent
with the amount needed to have any real performance enhancement.
What's less reported however is the following hair follicle test
Canelo done.
Following request from the Nevada State Athletic Commission Canelo's test came back negative
for Clenbuterol.
While the banned substance can remain in urine for up to a
week, it can remain in hair for several months.
The negative hair follicle test adds credibility to Canelo's excuse of eating contaminated
meat.
However we will never truly know the reality of the situation, and the situation is open
to interpretation from each and every fan of the sport.
Canelo Alvarez would immediately relocate his training camp to San Diego, and serve
a 6-month suspension as the megafight rematch was put on hold.
Golovkin's plans to fight remained unchanged and and a replacement opponent was
chosen, of who he knocked out in 2 rounds.
However the stigma surrounding Canelo's legitimacy of being a clean athlete was intensified by
Golovkin, who insisted that Canelo was a cheat, and this is where the glory and pride of the
rivalry had evolved into absolute animosity.
Tension rose between the fighters, and what little respect both fighters had for one another
was quickly removed from the equation.
And despite the plausible deniability case of Canelo Alvarez, Golovkin was the devils
advocate as his comments triggered the continuing back
and forth bickering from one another.
Reporter: So no matter what, even if he is not clean, you still want to fight Canelo
Alvarez?
Golovkin: Absolutely, absolutely, because you know just, I know my stuff.
I 100% know my stuff.
I'm clean everytime.
It doesn't matter for me who is in front of me, my opponent, he uses
drugs or not uses drugs, it doesn't matter for me.
Canelo was bothered by the fact that Golovkin and his team had jumped on the opportunity
to tarnish his name, and what once before seemed like
just business, had now become personal.
The rematch was set for September, which would mark a year from their first meeting.
Many felt that this time around Golovkin would close out the show, as he was not likely to
get a close decision, and others felt Canelo had
more to learn from the first fight which would give him the better odds of winning.
Having previously contested over 12 rounds, both men had become familiar with one another.
It was now ultimately down to who could make the better adjustments, who could find the
way to win.
The fight started with no similarity to the first fight, this time Canelo was on the front
foot, and he landed clean with a left hook in the opening seconds.
A battle of the jabs ensued with both fighters utilizing head movement, with Canelo using
lateral head movement and Golovkin's head movement being back and forth.
Canelo's jab would be key in maintaining his position in the center
of the ring in this fight, and Golovkin landed a snapping jab to end the round.
The following round saw both fighters stick close to one another, circling eachother tightly
in the center of the ring as they exchanged jabs. Canelo lands a massive left hook, the
first notable powerpunch of the fight.
We've talked about this type of move from Canelo before, he makes the hook seem like
it's going to the body with the initial trajectory, then
changes it last second to land clean with the consequent defensive opening.
Canelo built on this with another combination, but Golovkin fires back.
Golovkin catches Canelo with a jab as Canelo throws a body shot.
Things looking much more aggressive in the beginning stages here than they did in the
first fight.
Really close rounds so far, Canelo clearly trying to put Golovkin on the back foot this
time around, but Golovkin so far too strong to be bullied.
As we enter the fourth round Canelo had been successful in keeping his ground with Golovkin,
and now it seemed Golovkin was the one put on the back foot.
Golovkin landed a great uppercut, which was thrown when Canelo was open as he went for
the body.
Both fighters continue to land jabs.
In general it was yet again Golovkins piston-like jab, and
Canelo's explosive power shots.
Half way into the fight Golovkin had practically landed double the jabs Canelo did.
The amount of skill Canelo and Golovkin showed in this fight should not go under-appreciated.
Golovkin waves Canelo to attack, almost as if to say he's just warming up.
The fight was widely viewed to be even going into the seventh round.
Both fighters so closely matched.
Golovkin lands an uppercut, but was returned with a right hand from
Canelo.
Canelo and Golovkin go at it again, neither fighter willing to be the last one to get
hit, it's so hard to judge this fight, then Golovkin lands an absolutely pulverizing right
hand, followed by a jab.
The right hand was thrown over the top of Canelo's jab, snapping Canelo's head to the
side.
The first fight was great, but this one was better in
more ways than one.
A pure contest of wills, it came down to which fighter wanted it more.
In the championship rounds Golovkin looked absolutely unstoppable.
But Canelo also stood his ground.
You actually have to wonder how conditioned one's body must be to endure such punishment
for this many rounds.
We enter the final round.
Golovkin snaps Canelo's head back with numerous jabs.
It was Golovkin now who gained confidence in the final rounds.
A fight like this can only be produced by truly great fighters.
Both fighters gasping for breath, fighting through with grit and determination, a long
fight gone down the stretch, each fighter leaving everything they have
in the ring.
10 seconds to go, they go at it.
Golovkin lands, Canelo lands, that's been the story of the fight so far.
Canelo and Golovkin embrace eachother, showing respectful
sportsmanship.
That was one of the greatest fights in recent memory between two incredible middleweight
boxers.
No matter the decision, we must shine light on the pure greatness
that fight came to be.
Of course, we go to the scorecards.
After 12 hardly fought rounds, Canelo won a decision victory.
Of course, with all great boxing tales, there is controversy.
While some felt that Canelo had finally done enough, others felt that Golovkin was still
the victor after landing the more consistent punches.
What do you guys think, who did you have winning both fights between Canelo and Golovkin.
That brings a close to this video, we hope you enjoyed it, the Canelo Golovkin rivalry
is one that had it's ups and downs, many still want to see a third fight between both fighters.
A trilogy fight is hard to not entertain, considering how great the first two were.
It's important to note that just because Golovkin is older now, it doesn't mean that he cant
win a third fight.
If boxing history has taught us anything, it's that the overlooked foe is often the
most dangerous.
If you enjoyed the video consider giving it a like as it helps us grow
the channel.
We'll see you in the next video here on The Fight Game.