Golovkin and Canelo battle to a draw

By Miguel Maravilla at ringside
Photo: Tom Hogan, Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions

WBA, WBC and IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin (37-0-1, 33 KOs) and Canelo Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) battled to a twelve round draw on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Canelo used his speed and movement, while Golovkin delivered tremendous pressure. In the end, judges scored it 118-110 Canelo, 115-113 Golovkin, 114-114.

Wasting no time Golovkin threw a looping right in the opening seconds of the fight as Canelo countered with a left hook to the body. In round two, Alvarez worked off the jab and moved side to side mixing it up with combinations as Golovkin pressed with a grin. Alvarez landed low in round three as referee Kenny Bayless told him to keep the punches up, Golovkin began to work off the jab but Canelo’s fast hands was the difference in the round. In round four Golovkin backed Alvarez to the ropes as Canelo appeared to be showboating in the final seconds.

Golovkin cornered Canelo early in the fifth round and continued to pin him as he landed a huge overhand right hand as Alvarez shrugged it away. At the halfway point in the sixth Golovkin pressed Canelo as he had him backing up. Continuing to press Golovkin backed Canelo was on his feet countering away boxing. In round eight Canelo kept his distance from Golovkin countering and landed a solid uppercut.

The ninth round saw Golovkin land a powerful right as Canelo responded with his big punches connecting with a left hook and later connecting with a power right. Alvarez staggered Golovkin in the tenth round with a left hook, right hand combination but Golovkin kept coming at Canelo. The championship rounds in the eleventh Canelo countered and let his hands go as Golovkin stalked. The twelve and final round Canelo unloaded combinations and boxed as Golovkin pressed searching for the knockout as they traded away to the final bell.