The most anticipated fight of the year is back on. After the deadline was given by Canelo Alvarez and Oscar de la Hoya for a response from Gennady Golovkin, it was announced that the two will re-engage in the ring on September 15th.
Originally, the boxers had been scheduled to fight on May 5th in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena, but lvarez withdrew after he was given a six-month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in connection with a pair of failed drug tests in February. The rematch was clamored for by the fans due to the the controversial draw in their first fight.
De La Hoya, head of Golden Boy Promotions which is Alvarez’s promoter, announced the news on Wednesday via Twitter: Im happy to inform that we have a fight September 15″.
HBO Boxing’s Best 2017: Canelo vs. Golovkin
Relive this year’s middleweight war between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin. HBO celebrates boxing’s best of 2017 by featuring the year’s most unforgettable fights, with different bouts airing every night from Dec. 26-29, 2017.
Many believed the fight would not happen so soon. Sights were set on Canelo Alvarez facing Daniel “The Miracle Man” Jacobs, and the word was floating that newly minted WBC Middleweight champion Jermall Charlo was being considered as a potential opponent for GGG.
Now that the fight is truly back on: do you even care?
The first bout was epic. However, with the momentum in boxing shifting rapidly towards an on-demand weekend and oftentimes weekday, little hiccups become large gaping holes in the realm of public expectation. The rematch clause was in the initial fight contract but it should have had a real timeline attached to any unforeseen circumstances.
Jermall Charlo’s second-round knockout of Hugo Centeno, Jr. put him on the radar for the middleweight division and he’s under the tutelage of trainer Derrick James, who has incubated twin brother Jermell Charlo and current welterweight champion Errol Spence.
Jermall Charlo KOs Hugo Centeno Jr. | SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING
Jermall Charlo remains undefeated as he knocks out Hugo Centeno Jr. in round 2 to claim the WBC’s interim 160-lb title.
Alvarez is still the “A” side of this fight even with one loss to Floyd Mayweather. The fact that GGG had to concede to Alvarez’s final offer or lose a huge payday is the proof.
As fans, with a new plethora of options across broadcast centers like ESPN, Showtime, HBO, and more, attention spans are fleeting and the regeneration of new marquee talent, even in the talent-starved heavyweight ranks, is in full effect. GGG vs. Canelo will undoubtedly be a blockbuster, but the public’s interest wanes if the timeliness or shenanigans are too much for fans to bear.
Charlo and even Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders are amazing fights for either GGG or Canelo, and would have been greater replacements than Vanes Martirosyan was for the Kazakh on Cinco de Mayo.
As the game unfolds and more “young lions” emerge, GGG will need to assess what is a better legacy play for himself. After September 15th, we will see who really is the best Middleweight and if this will go to a third stanza or propel either fighter to the next level.
