Golovkin Admits He’s “Nearing Retirement” But Still Has “Future Plans” After Canelo Fight

A questioning look graces Gennadiy Golovkin’s face seemingly every time Canelo Alvarez has something to say.

For most of the buildup to their Sept. 17 matchup, Alvarez has remained apoplectic toward his next opponent. Although the Mexican star was initially cordial, he believes the reigning middleweight champion has been disingenuous behind the scenes.

As Alvarez has continually threatened to end his longtime rival’s career on fight night, an incredulous Golovkin has no idea why Alvarez has become so acrimonious. Still, despite his warnings, Golovkin refuses to let his emotions get the best of him. While the pair have shared the ring on two separate occasions spanning 24 rounds, Golovkin would rather spend the latter part of his career simply preparing for his long-awaited third match against Alvarez without worrying about theatrics.

“For me, it’s nothing personal,” Golovkin said during an interview with Combat Compas. “It’s just another fight. You know that I am close to my retirement, I am world champion. So, in fact, we have been waiting for this fight for a long time. Now, it is happening. So, it’s another fight, nothing personal.”

Golovkin, 40, was left motionless and in disbelief after two controversial decisions against Alvarez. The two were originally set to meet on September 16, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The consensus shortly after their battle was that Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) had done more than enough to earn the victory. Ultimately, however, the newly turned 40-year-old was forced to settle for a split decision draw.

A year later, Golovkin was outraged when he received the first and only loss of his career in the subsequent rematch. Since he suffered what he believes was an unfair decision, Golovkin has posted four straight wins. As for Álvarez, on the other hand, his career has skyrocketed.

Having stolen world titles in numerous weight classes, the Mexican star is considered by many to be one of the best boxers of his generation. However, for the first time in about a decade, Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) was soundly defeated in the ring by Dmitry Bivol just a few months ago.

Golovkin no doubt believes Alvarez was knocked off his high horse by the Russian star, and is eager to saddle up another loss on his record. However, if for some reason Golovkin can’t settle accounts with his man, retirement is a strong possibility.

Yet even with the 40-year-old racking up countless accolades, he thinks his boxing to-do list has a few unchecked boxes.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Golovkin said when asked if his third matchup against Alvarez would be the end of his career. “I still have a lot of plans. There is my home country, Kazakhstan, where I think I need to fight. On the one hand I can say that I retired a while ago when the pandemic started, the very active part of the race. But on the other hand, I still have some plans in the world of boxing.”