Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) and WBC/WBA/IBO Middleweight Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) shared a stage at the MGM Grand Resort and Casino for the first time since February earlier this year for the final press conference ahead of their highly anticipated rematch on Sept. 15 at a now sold-out T-Mobile Arena, that will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at the special time of 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT.
(Photo Credit: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions)
Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s final press conference:
CANELO ALVAREZ, LINEAL MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“Thank you everyone for being here. I’m ready and prepared to be in the ring soon Sept. 15. If you have known m throughout my career you know I don’t like to talk I like to show it in the ring. Thank you to my fans and this fight is for Mexico.”
GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN, WBC/WBA/IBO MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPION:
“September 15 is a huge date. This is the biggest day for boxing fans. I’m very happy. I feel healthy. Thank you to God who gave me the biggest chance to be here. Thank you to the teams. Thank you to all the fans.”
ERIC GOMEZ, PRESIDENT OF GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS:
“We are now just three short days away from seeing something for a second time that unfortunately rarely happens in our sport – the two best guys in a division facing each other in the primes of their career.And this time, there is real bad blood between these two guys. Canelo has personally told me he wants to knock GGG out. GGG hasn’t been shy about expressing his thoughts about Canelo.
“And, this has just come in: Tickets for Canelo vs. GGG 2 are officially SOLD OUT. So, the only way now to catch this historic rematch in Las Vegas is by watching the closed circuit telecast at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage or Luxor.”
TOM LOEFFLER OF GGG PROMOTIONS:
“What a long and winding road we took to get here today for this historic rematch. Luckily for the fans and the sport of boxing with one concession we were able to get this fight done. You have to give both these fighters credit. A lot of people were demanding to see this rematch and here we are. This transcends the sport of boxing and sports in general. It has become an international event, broadcast in 160 countries. It’s like the World Cup with its international fan base. If GGG is successful, he’s up against the legendary Bernard Hopkin’s historic middleweight title defense record.”
EDDY REYNOSO, HEAD TRAINER FOR CANELO ALVAREZ:
“The date is here, we have made a great preparation to show it in the ring. Thank you to all the media here today.”
JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, MANAGER AND CO-TRAINER OF CANELO ALVAREZ:
“Much has been said outside the ring but the truth will arrive this Saturday. Words aren’t needed and we expect a great fight. When you remember great fights, you will remember Canelo vs. GGG 2. We hope that in the ring it exceeds what was said outside of the ring.”
ABEL SANCHEZ, TRAINER TO GENNADY GOLOVKIN:
“Thank you to Canelo and GGG teams for making this fight a reality. In order to take his belt, you’re gonna have to fight him. Lets hop we get the kind of fight the other side has promised on Sept. 15.”
BERNARD HOPKINS,
FUTURE HALL OF FAMER AND GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS PARTNER:
“For Canelo and GGG to be on the stage at this time in middleweight history, they get to take it to the next level. I wish one guy to be the winner and that’s Canelo. Come Sept 15 I think a lot of people will be surprised for how this fight will turn out.”
TONY WALKER, VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMMING, HBO PAY-PER-VIEW:
“This is undoubtedly the biggest boxing match of the year. Everyone involved would not stop until the fight was made. This is a mega fight in every sense of the word. Since the fight a year ago, it stayed in the public consciousness and was water cooler talk. Everyone continued to talk about it because it is the biggest to happen in the sport.”
BOB BENNETT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NEVADA STATE ATHLETIC COMMISSION:
“Thank you to Golden Boy Promotions and GGG promotions for bringing this fight to the Fight Capital of the World. Without the fighters, we wouldn’t be here today.”
MAURICIO SULAIMAN, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD BOXING COUNCIL:
“This fight represents the best fight of the year and the century. These camps understand the need to give the fans the best fight and to do it again after the bell rang last year on Sept 16. I’m very proud of our champion Gennady Golovkin who has been a great representative of the sport and I’m very proud of Canelo who has also always been a great representative of the sport. I am sure Chepo, Eddy and Abel have prepared their fighters to give the best fight on Saturday.”
CANELO VS. GGG 2 UNDERCARD WORKOUT PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
Following the final press conference, Canelo vs. GGG 2 undercard fighters including Mexican middleweight star Jaime Munguia (30-0, 25 KOs), rugged Canadian contender Brandon “Bad Boy” Cook (20-1, 13 KOs), former IBF Middleweight World Champion David Lemieux (39-4, 33 KOs), Irish warrior Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan (28-2, 20 KOs), former four-division world champion Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez (46-2, 38 KOs), and experienced Mexican warrior Moises “Moi” Fuentes (25-5-1, 14 KOs) staged an open workout for fans in the lobby of the MGM Resort and Casino.
