Gennady Golovkin will have to fight Jermall Charlo to get third bout with Canelo Alvarez

 by John Dennen

GENNADY GOLOVKIN can rightly feel that his business with Canelo Alvarez remains unfinished. Their first contest was a highly controversial draw. Their rematch in September of this year was also close, though Alvarez won the decision and the WBC and WBA middleweight titles.

Canelo retains his middleweight belts even as he steps up to super-middle to fight Rocky Fielding on December 15 at Madison Square Garden.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said, “He’s a champion and the rules allow a champion to request a special fight, as we have done countless times in the past. So he will be fighting, he will be representing the WBC and after the fight we will see what the decision is.”

But Golovkin is still gunning for a third fight with Canelo. That would require Alvarez to return to 160lbs and defend his titles there. To guarantee a shot at the WBC belt however “GGG” would have to fight Jermall Charlo, the WBC’s Interim middleweight champion.

Sulaiman explained, “The WBC ordered Charlo, who is the Interim champion and mandatory, to fight against Golovkin. Because GGG lost his title in a highly disputed, close fight and deserves to remain close to the action. Instead of ordering Charlo to go directly as mandatory Golovkin requested a direct rematch, and Canelo requested a voluntary. We mixed everything up, we ordered Charlo-Golovkin. Hopefully it will take place. The winner of that fight is a major attraction to fight Canelo. I feel happy, I hope it happens. We will see.”