Canelo vs GGG 2: Golovkin sends chilling message to Alvarez ahead of rematch
GENNADY GOLOVKIN has vowed to ‘punish’ Canelo Alvarez in their eagerly-anticipated showdown.
Canelo shows off incredible shape ahead of Golovkin fight
Golovkin - the unified WBA, WBC, and IBO middleweight champion - will rematch Alvarez a week on Saturday at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The pair’s first meeting ended in a controversial split draw, though the general consensus among viewers and pros is that Kazakstan native Golovkin did more than enough to win the contest.
A rematch between two of the pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet was in major doubt following Canelo’s positive drug test in February - which saw him test positive for clenbuterol and handed a retroactive six-month suspension - and prolonged negotiations.
The fight eventually came together in June, but only after a series of taunts from Canelo and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
Golovkin hasn’t taken either man’s comments, or the will-they-won’t-they-saga, kindly and plans on taking out his frustrations on the Mexican on fight night.
“I want to punish him,” Golovkin said during a conference call via his translator.
“I want to have a fight and punish him for all the bad things that he and his team have done – to size him down and put them in their place.”
Golovkin’s coach Abel Sanchez insists ‘GGG’s’ eagerness to punish Canelo doesn’t stem from any anger towards the former Ring and lineal middleweight champion.
I want to punish him
“He’s not angry,” Sanchez said. “He’s got a purpose in the gym and he’s got a purpose of what he wants to do inside the ring.
“Canelo’s done some things that he feels he needs to pay for, and he’ll do that in the ring.
“In the gym, it’s just another day training in the gym. He’s the same guy that he was before. He trains hard.
“Just his mentality for this fight seems to be very, very focused on trying to punish Canelo, as he was when he fought [Curtis] Stevens.
"If you recall, when he fought Stevens, he was like that, too. He has the same mentality.”
Golovkin doesn’t intend on leaving the fight in the judge’s hands this time around and is eyeing an early finish.
"We have two different styles of boxing," said Golovkin. "I have a completely different style of boxing.
"What I believe and hope that in this upcoming fight, we'll come to this style of boxing which allows us to finish this fight early."