The third turned out to be superfluous – Sport – Kommersant

One of the most interesting confrontations in professional boxing – between Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin – ended with a duel in which the younger Mexican confidently won on points from a 40-year-old veteran from Kazakhstan and defended the title of absolute world champion in super middleweight (76.2 kg) . The priority option for the winner to continue his career is a rematch with Russian light heavyweight Dmitry Bivol.

The fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is one of the most anticipated events of the year thanks to the sign. The match was presented as the end of the confrontation between two unconditional boxing geniuses that began at the end of the last decade.

Two previous fights between Saul Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin, in 2017 and 2018, called huge hype, brought in over $200 million in revenue and left behind many vivid memories and debates about how fair their outcome was. The first fight ended in a draw, although most experts believed that Golovkin took the upper hand in it, the second – Alvarez won with a minimal margin, after which the Mexican staked out the status of the best fighter for a long time, regardless of the weight category. However, many questioned the victory of Alvarez.

Despite the beauty of the poster, which promised that all questions regarding the rivalry between two extraordinary boxers would finally be removed, the match in Las Vegas was not among the most interesting sporting events of the year. Everything about him was too predictable.

Everything too corresponded to the forecasts of realists well versed in boxing, who do not believe in fantastic plot twists.

The match was unlucky over time. When Saul Alvarez first met Gennady Golovkin, he was, strictly speaking, a young boxer. Over the past years, the Mexican had many bright fights and won the title of absolute world champion in super middleweight. He came to this match in the prime of his life, at the ideal age for a boxer.

Gennady Golovkin during this time has turned from just an experienced athlete into a 40-year-old veteran, holding championship belts in his “native” middleweight, but fighting infrequently, mainly with opponents of a low level, and showing signs of albeit slow, but withering.

The alignment spoke in favor of Saul Alvarez, and what was happening in the ring only reinforced all the assumptions associated with the fight.

Formally, it may seem that Gennady Golovkin lost “on a thin one.” Saul Alvarez’s advantage was microscopic on two judges’ maps – 115:113, on the third one it was small – 116:112. Statistics from CompuBox also does not indicate the overwhelming advantage of the Mexican. For example, in terms of hits that reached the target, it is tiny – 130 vs. 120, and in terms of those thrown out, Golovkin was even ahead – 521 vs. 487. But the numbers in this case are misleading.

To understand the essence of what happened, you need to divide the battle into two parts. So, its first half is the time of the complete dominance of Saul Alvarez, to whom independent experts, including those collaborating with ESPN, boldly gave round after round. He was faster, more aggressive. His strikes, singles and series, may not have caused enormous damage to Gennady Golovkin (except for a sweeping right shot in the fifth round), but at least they often looked rather unpleasant and dangerous. It was a good work by an outstanding master, it seems to show the difference between him and Golovkin not so much in class as in physical readiness.

In the second half, however, the situation changed, and starting around the seventh round, Gennady Golovkin was already more active, more assertive and sharper. The ending remained with him, but the thing is that by the time the boxer from Kazakhstan added, Saul Alvarez’s margin of safety was already gigantic, and he had the opportunity, without risking anything, to switch to a different mode, calmer. And the version that such an outcome of the battle – with the titles retained by Alvarez and yet, whatever one may say, not lost by Golovkin’s face – was confirmed by friendly hugs and warm words addressed to each other from those who once looked like irreconcilable rivals. Time seems to have made them partners.

Much more curious than the denouement of the “trilogy” is the future of the two boxers. There are many questions here. Gennady Golovkin, as it turned out, is not going to end his career, regardless of age, and plans to defend the title of the strongest middleweight. And Saul Alvarez has many options to continue. The athlete himself immediately declared priority.

After Alvarez heals a hand injured last year, he wants to take revenge on Dmitry Bivol. According to the boxer, this match is of tremendous importance “both for his heritage, and for his country, and for his family.”

Everything is clear here. In May, Alvarez, who switched to light heavyweight for the second time in his life (up to 79.4 kg), was defeated by the Russian champion of the World Boxing Association (WBA) Dmitry Bivol. A terribly painful defeat – the Mexican, who managed to accustom the audience to the fact that he can find an approach to any opponent, did not cause any serious problems to the neat and cold-blooded Bivol. Such misfires are painful.

True, Dmitry Bivol, in order for the rematch to take place, still needs to deal with a difficult opponent himself. November in Abu Dhabi will fight with compatriot Alvarez – Gilberto Ramirez.

Alexey Dospekhov