Both Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez are convinced their super showdown in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sunday will not last the 12-round distance. It will be an entertaining war.
It could also sparkle and astound, a modern-day classic that will be hard to forget, similar to the Thrilla in Manila circa 1975.
Golovkin, 35, (37-0-33 KOs) is the favored warrior. It will be his first fight in Las Vegas.
Alvarez, 27, (49-1-1-34 KOs) and supposedly at his peak, will have the big crowd on his side.
Manny Pacquiao says Golovkin and Alvarez are about even in skill and power, but gives Golovkin, a solid pressure fighter, a slight edge.
Trainer Freddie Roach sees the younger Alvarez prevailing through combined skill and power in the late rounds.
Said Golovkin: “All my career I’ve been denied the fights I’ve wanted. That ends Saturday night.”
Alvarez: “I expect there’ll be a lot of punches thrown, but I want to say I’m working for a knockout.”
In October 1975, after the bloody brutal ring war at the Araneta Coliseum, the late Gabriel Elorde said a week after that Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali still had blood in their urine, evidence of the supreme savagery swapped inside the ring.
The prayer here is for Golovkin and Alvarez to finish their middleweight supremacy test with only minimal or normal damage, and not suffer the irreversible deterioration that befell both Ali and Frazier after the unforgettable heavyweight clash in Manila.
There will be many close rounds.
Canelo has to make adjustments, as defense will play a great part on who will succeed.
This super showdown should be decided on sheer power, with the fighter able to avoid or withstand punishment—while landing killer blows more accurately—gaining a decisive edge.
Alvarez has the big punch, but will need to work more diligently to avoid a repeat of his shallow start against Amir Khan, that saw him getting outhit and outsmarted, before landing the KO bomb in the fifth round.
Golovkin, on the other hand, cannot afford an off-day, like the one he had against underrated Daniel Jacobs, that saw him eking out a very slim decision victory to keep his unbeaten record.
There will be Thrilla in Nevada, if not as great as the one in Manila, something similar in excitement and classy confrontation.
Regarding the fans, everybody should be rewarded, unlike in the overpriced and overhyped Mayweather-McGregor exhibition mismatch.
There will be pure, honest combat. Victory goes to the truly courageous warrior.