By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin have not agreed on much during the heated lead-up to their Sept. 17 trilogy bout but both boxers told Reuters the fight will be decided inside the ring and not on the judge’s scorecards.
Alvarez and Golovkin, known as “Triple G,” first met in 2017 and fought to a disputed draw. In the rematch in 2018 the Mexican won an even more controversial points decision that many observers thought could have gone the other way.
“Each of us will try to end this early and we both know how to do that,” Golovkin (42-1-1) told Reuters.
“We will try not to have this fight go the distance and give it to the judges.”
In a separate interview, Alvarez (57-2-2) concurred.
“Look, it’s going to be a hard fight. Golovkin is a good fighter, strong fighter, but my goal is to end this fight before 12 rounds,” he said.
The lead-up to their third fight has been marked by a ratcheting up of the rhetoric, particularly from Alvarez, who has said he plans to send the 40-year-old Golovkin into retirement after the fight in Las Vegas.
A relaxed Golovkin shrugged off Alvarez’s barbs.
“I don’t how to assess his behavior but I’m used to it,” he said.
“I feel very comfortable and very strong mentally.”
Golovkin, who hails from Kazakhstan, has won four consecutive fights since losing to Alvarez in 2018 and said he will know when the time is right to hang up his gloves.
“I will listen to my body. If I feel like I’m strong and can continue, I will stay in boxing,” he said.
“But if my body is telling me something is not right, that it is time to retire, I will listen to my body and I will follow it’s advice.”
And what is his body telling him now?
“Let’s go buddy, let’s go!,” he said with a laugh.
As for Alvarez, who holds all four major belts at super middleweight, the 31-year-old is eager to finish off Golovkin and turn his attention to a rematch against Russian Dmitry Bivol, the light heavyweight who beat him in May.
“The day after I lost I said to (boxing promoter) Eddie Hearn that I wanted the rematch for September but we already had a contract for this fight,” Canelo said.
“It’s fine and I’m happy to do it because this is a really good fight for me, for my career, and everybody wants to see this fight.
“It will be a challenge for me, too.”
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
