Golovkin says he’s had to look vulnerable in order to land Canelo fight

Has Gennady Golovkin been feigning a decline in order to bait Canelo Alvarez into the big fight this weekend? Well, Golovkin and his trainer have certainly intimated as much.

There’s been a lot of talk over the past year that Golovkin might be showing signs of age as he’s been hit more than usual in his last two outings. But as Golovkin tells ESPN, Canelo is no Daniel Jacobs and had he put on a dominant performance in that outing he wouldn’t have gotten Canelo in the ring.

“I am not Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and Canelo is no Danny Jacobs. There are no survivors in my fights,” said Golovkin, who has been asked constantly about the comparison between his difficulties with Jacobs and Alvarez’s easy time with Chavez in his last fight.

“Boxing is a business,” Golovkin said. “If I look great against Jacobs — if I knocked him out — I would not be getting this fight with Canelo now.”

Golovkin and trainer Abel Sanchez weren’t completely dismissive of Jacobs’ performance though, one that certainly gave Golovkin some issues. They still rate Jacobs very highly — the second best 160 pounder in the world.

But despite that Sanchez notes that Jacobs still “gamed the system” by skipping out on the IBF’s second day weigh-in where he wouldn’t be allowed to rehydrate more than 10 pounds — using that tactic in order to secure a size advantage over Golovkin in the ring. Sanchez estimates that Jacobs was at least one division heavier than Golovkin in that fight and that Golovkin still won.

So Sanchez sort of counts that as two wins for Golovkin as he proved his ability to go 12 rounds against a good opponent, and in doing so they were able to get Golden Boy to finalize this upcoming fight.

“If Gennady had knocked Jacobs out, there is no way Golden Boy would have the confidence to put Canelo in with us this year,” Sanchez continued.

But you tell me, fans. You’ve seen the fights. Do you think Golovkin has been looking somewhat vulnerable as a deliberate ploy to get the big drama show he’s always wanted? Has Golovkin lured Canelo into a mouse trap here? Let me know in the comments below.