By Victor Salazar
New York - After the highly debated draw between middleweights Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KO’s), the boxing world awaits the rematch of a fight that should have been remembered for the action inside the ring, instead of the poor judging.
There were rumors that Golovkin would take an interim fight in December before the rematch but it seems both sides are dead set on ** the rematch next year.
Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, who was in New York to work the corner of Golovkin’s stablemate Murat Gassiev, agreed that the rematch is too big for the showdown not to happen next for both fighters.
“Gennady is definitely not fighting in December or this year in fact,” Sanchez told BoxingScene.com. “Both sides (Golden Boy Promotions and K2 Promotions) have been in negotiations and they spoke as recently as this past Tuesday at the Cotto press conference. I believe there are going to meet this week. I think it’s close.”
Sanchez feels the best time to make the fight would be during the traditional Cinco De Mayo boxing weekend because the attention of the world usually falls on the sweet science.
“It’s a perfect day if they do it in May, with the whole Cinco de Mayo for the Mexican people,” explained the trainer. “If it is in May, obviously no one’s going to fight in between. It’s too important of a fight to getting someone hurt or cut. May the 5th is perfect for me.”
Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who is the promoter for Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2. 34 KO’s), recently stated on BoxingScene.com that should David Lemieux (38-3, 33 KO’s) win his upcoming bout with WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (25-0, 12 KO’s) on December 16 - then a match between Canelo and Lemieux could be made - if the negotiations for the Canelo-Golovkin rematch fall apart.
If Canelo-Lemieux were to happen, Sanchez feels that scenario would be sad for boxing.
“I would hope not,” Sanchez said to BoxingScene regarding the possible scenario of Canelo facing Lemieux before the Golovkin rematch.
“It goes back to all the trash talking and all the talking they were doing before the fight. What he could do and what they were going to do in knocking out Golovkin and now they run to that route. First they gave up the belt and then they run from Golovkin to go after Lemieux - should he go that route. That’s Golovkin’s leftovers if he does win. It’d be sad for boxing.”
2023-10-19 19:44:38
