You are the middleweight champion. Many people think you are #1 P4P. What would a victory over Canelo add to that?
“It is not serious for me, that pound for pound. There are so many great fighters. For me, what is more serious is, maybe last five years I destroy my opponents, and Canelo did the same. I do not know who is close with us in the middleweight division. I do not know who is number two, number three, number four. I know this guy [Canelo]. He is a special guy. He is a superstar. He is national idol, a hero.
“This is much bigger for me, not pound-for-pound. Pound-for-pound is just one guy who says, ‘You are number one pound-for-pound,’ and another one says, ‘No, I like that guy more.’ Everybody feels different. For me, pound-for-pound is not serious. This is my biggest fight. This fight is real because it is about winning a war. It is about boxing history. It is about being the champion of the world.”
Episode #2 of 24/7 Canelo/Golovkin premieres This Saturday, Sept. 9 on HBO Immediately following the live Boxing After Dark triple header from the StubHub Center at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
Canelo vs. Golovkin takes place Saturday, September 16 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at a special time of 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT.
Abel Sanchez Blog Part 2
Gennady is the middleweight champion and the No. 1 P4P on most lists. What would a victory over Canelo Alvarez add to that? Why is it that you and Gennady wanted this fight more than any other?
“I think the winner of this fight on September 16 clearly establishes the best middleweight in the world as well as a strong argument for the best fighter in the sport. The winner will also be one of the most marketable fighters as well as the top of the pound for pound list, which doesn’t always go hand in hand.
“A victory over Canelo will bring Gennady within one fight of tying the record for consecutive middleweight title defenses. History will show that Gennady has always stepped to accept a challenge and in the middleweight division that’s saying something.”
GGG Blog Part 1: Golovkin & Abel discuss waiting for fight with Canelo
How frustrating was it to have to wait for this fight with Canelo?
“We have been talking about this fight for years. The last two years, I lose interest, because after every fight, Golden Boy said, ‘No. OK, maybe next fight.’ I remember the situation after the Amir Khan fight, when I go into the ring. Oscar De La Hoya said, ‘This is a good day for us and I will call GGG’s manager tomorrow.’ I think it was hard on the fans too.
“The fans are hungry for this fight. After the Julio Cesar Chavez fight, I believed it is possible for us, and in June I see Canelo’s face, and it is more serious. He is ready. This was not like Canelo not being ready. It was Golden Boy not being ready.”
Abel Sanchez Blog Part 1
How frustrating was it to wait for this fight with Canelo to happen? Is Gennady saving his anger for fight night? What do you expect Gennady to accomplish on Sept. 16?
“I’ve never seen Gennady frustrated except when Sturm refused to fight him and the WBA kept giving him opportunities to avoid his mandatory obligation. I could also see him getting frustrated last year when three of the top middleweights (Canelo, Saunders, Eubank) wouldn’t fight him and then Brook stepped up to the plate to save the day last September in London.”
HBO Sports will air the special “Under The Lights: Canelo/Golovkin” Saturday, Sept. 2 at 10:00 p.m. (E/PT) on HBO. It’s the final time the two will see each other until fight week unfolds in Las Vegas.
Episode #2 of 24/7 Canelo/Golovkin premieres Saturday, Sept. 9 on HBO Immediately following the live Boxing After Dark triple header from the StubHub Center at 10:15 p.m. ET/PT.
Watch Gennady Golovkin’s Greatest Hits (Click to Watch)
