IBO Boxing Honesty and Integrity
By Scoop Malinowski
Gennady Golovkin is making some interesting statements two weeks before his rematch showdown with Canelo Alvarez.
The first fight build-up was curiously devoid of any grudge, tension and hostility. Each camp seemed to be on the same harmonious page as if their long delayed clash was some kind of a giant business agreement or merger. And the fight itself looked like a sparring session with Golovkin mysteriously not unleashing his very best, most lethal offense.
This time, thankfully, the energy around the rematch is totally different. Now there are serious signs of mutual resentment.
“So many people show me their true face during and after the first fight with Canelo. I am talking about lots of different people. I know who I am and I know who Canelo is, and what he has become. I know what kind of people I am dealing with in this rematch, what everyone is about. I do not think about the first fight anymore. I did not lose that fight. I walked out of the ring with all my belts, still the world champion,” said Golovkin this week.
“The second fight is much bigger and more interesting. The last fight was a good experience because it was a learning experience. Now it is a different situation. I understand the situation. I now know that boxing is not just a sport. It is a business. That is one thing I learned from the first fight.”
This is an interesting choice of words. One could interpret these words to possibly mean the first fight was a business arrangement and this rematch is going to be contested on far different terms and conditions, perhaps there are no concessions or compromises this time from Golovkin. If you remember, Canelo ducked Golovkin for five years and even surrendered a belt to avoid Golovkin. You have to wonder what price did Golovkin have to pay to finally lure Canelo to sign the contract and enter the ring?
Golovkin continued… “So from that I learned how to deal with this rematch. I learned how to deal with Canelo and his promoter. Now we have new judges and a new referee. The world will see a new fight and different sides of that fight.”
Sounds like Golovkin does not have any harnesses on his punches this time and does not have to take it easy on the establishment cash cow, doesn’t it? Sounds like Golovkin had some kind of leverage and was able to force Canelo to do this rematch, doesn’t it?
“I have worked very hard in this training camp, building myself up. It has been very exciting because I have been working on new things with Abel. Every day has been a good day. I am very happy and very strong. This will be the biggest fight for boxing. I cannot wait to give the fans a great fight, an exciting fight, a Mexican Style fight. This is a battle between the two best middleweights. To me, it is a fight about honor. This time I am fighting for a lot more than my world championship belts.”
We have to read between the lines a lot in this world and boxing with all the fake news and propaganda swirling everywhere. But experienced and savvy ring observers could safely assume that this time Gennady Golovkin is going to be allowed to unleash his very best fistic prowess on Canelo September 15.
Any by tone of words and pent up frustration, it seems Golovkin fancies this long-awaited opportunity to inflict some severe frontier justice on the red-headed protagonist.
