GGG and Canelo have other fights, but all the talk is about them fighting each other

By Norm Frauenheim–

If boxing mimics politics – as it so often does, Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez are still in the primary season.

It moves onto another stage Saturday (HBO 10 pm ET/ 7 p.m. PT) with Golovkin expected to make another statement about his middleweight dominance against Dominic Wade at The Forum in Los Angeles just two weeks before Canelo faces Amir Khan on May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

It’s only a guess as to whether the two fights can push GGG and Canelo closer to fighting each other. If it had been up to GGG, he would have been looking into Canelo’s unblinking eyes during the nose-to-nose stare-down for the cameras in a news-conference ritual Thursday in Los Angeles.

But it was the unknown Wade instead of Canelo staring back at GGG because of an agreement that allowed Canelo one defense of the WBC’s 160-pound title he took from Miguel Cotto in November.

It’s a deal that has generated inevitable criticism from fans weary of waiting. The last time they waited, they got Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s dud of a decision over Manny Pacquiao. Anybody want to do that again? Didn’t think so.

But the question of when remains as unclear now as it was months ago. Perhaps, more so, especially in the wake of Canelo’s continuing insistence that the fight be at a catch weight, 155 pounds.
“I really haven’t discussed the topic of Canelo, or regarding Canelo, with Golden Boy,’’ said Tom Loeffler, CEO of K2, GGG’s promoter. “We had the meeting with the WBC when Canelo was obligated to fight Gennady by winning the WBC title.

“But since then, since we had the agreement that he could have one voluntary defense and then would have to fight the winner, Gennady, or Dominic Wade, since then we haven’t had any discussions. We figure we’d focus on April 23, they would focus on May 7 and then after those two fights, we’d figure out the situation.’’

There’s little, if any, doubt abut the outcome in either fight. Golovkin is an overwhelming favorite to continue his string of knockouts, now at 21 and counting. Odds in his favor are anywhere from 70-to-1 to infinity-to-1.

Two weeks later in T-Mobile Arena’s first opening bell, Canelo is nearly a 5-to-1 favorite. That’s one-sided, yet close enough to think Khan has a better chance at making Canelo look bad than he does at beating him.

Khan has the right skill-set – quick feet and hands – to make it difficult for Canelo. In evaluating Khan, there’s been a lot of talk about Canelo’s loss to Mayweather, who in 2013 schooled the popular Mexican, then 22.

But Mayweather has taken just about everybody he’s faced to school. That’s why he’s 49-0. A more telling moment in Canelo’s career, perhaps, was Erislandy Lara in July 2014.

Lara never kept his distance, circling Canelo like a spinning top. An aggressive Canelo moved forward throughout the 12 rounds, an aggressive pursuit which was enough for a split decision.

But Lara made him look bad. Since then, Canelo, now 25, scored a sensational stoppage of James Kirkland and followed up against Cotto with a performance that included some newfound signs of maturity.

Against Cotto, he showed more upper-body movement. He was a more complete fighter, but perhaps not complete enough to contend with GGG, who at 34 is in his prime.

The guess in this corner is that he beats Khan, but his performance will determine whether he goes straight from Khan to GGG or back to the WBC for another agreement on another voluntary title defense.

Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya would not eliminate any option during a conference call this week. Even a Cotto rematch is a possibility.

“Might be,’’ De La Hoya said.

A move to further delay a mandatory with GGG could also put the WBC in an awkward spot. The WBC will have to decide whether to strip Canelo of the title if he doesn’t face GGG next. The ruling body is based in Mexico City. Canelo is, far and away, Mexico’s most popular fighter. Remember, boxing mimics politics.

“I’m not even thinking about that,’’ Canelo said this week. “I’m preparing for this fight on May 7. I’m not even thinking about that.

“After the fight, we’ll see. We’ll decide and see what’s the best course of action. But right now, it’s not even in my mind. Hasn’t even crossed my mind. I don’t know.”