Gennady Golovkin will look to prove that he is better than Saul “Canelo” Alvarez when they collide in a rematch on May 5. But if Golovkin really wants to win against his biggest rival, Billy Joe Saunders thinks the hard-hitting champion needs to do it the hard way.
The first fight between Golovkin and Alvarez in September last year ended in a split draw. Most fans and analysts think Golovkin did enough to win the fight, questioning the decision of the judges who called the bout.
Judge Dave Moretti scored the bout 115-113 in favor of Golovkin, while Don Trella had it 114-114. Judge Adalaide Byrd had it 118-110 in favor of Alvarez. Byrd was heavily criticized for her decision, which led to a temporary suspension.
Based on how the first fight was called, Saunders told Fighthub that Golovkin should take his fate out of the hands of the judges. He implied Golovkin has to knockout or at least clearly dominate Alvarez to get the victory. He believes the judges will hand the win to Canelo again if it is a close fight.
It could be a different story, though, if Golovkin’s camp manages to convince Golden Boy Promotion to stage the fight in another city instead of Las Vegas. The T-Mobile Arena, which hosted the first fight, will likely be the venue of the rematch barring any changes.
Canelo’s camp wants the fight in Las Vegas. According to New York Post, it is not a surprising preference for the Mexican boxing superstar because he “enjoyed the benefit of favorable decisions” in Las Vegas before. Alvarez’s last nine fights were also held in Las Vegas.
Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter, revealed that the fight could be moved to New York. The promoter said that Madison Square Garden is ready to make a strong bid to host the Alvarez-Golovkin rematch. MSG is expected to guarantee better gate attendance than the first showdown.
Golovkin, who holds a 37-0-1 record with 33 knockout victories, has fought six times in New York. Before the controversial fight against Alvarez, the 35-year-old knockout artist scored a unanimous decision win over Daniel Jacobs at Madison Square Garden in March last year.
On the other hand, Alvarez, who owns a 49-1-2 record with 34 knockouts, has never fought in New York before. Golden Boy Promotions and Oscar De La Hoya also view Las Vegas as the most ideal host because of the available facilities and the lack of state tax.