Canelo Alvarez is still upset about his unanimous decision loss to light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in May, his first setback since 2013.
The Mexican star wants to put the disappointment behind him by going back to what he has done best in the last 17 years, winning fights. And he wants to do it emphatically when he faces Gennadiy Golovkin for the third time on Saturday in Las Vegas.
He and Triple-G tied in 2017, and Álvarez won by majority decision the following year.
“From the first round I am going to look for the knockout,” Álvarez told The Associated Press. “I know I’m going to take a lot of risks. I have to. I’m aiming for greatness.”
The loss to Bivol was damaging, as Alvarez fell from No. 1 on most pound-for-pound lists (No. 2 on Boxing Junkie’s). He prided himself on the perception that he was the best in the world.
He is now more like most other elite fighters, exceptionally talented but beatable.
The new reality has stoked a fire under him. He is as motivated for Saturday’s fight as he has been for any fight, which might not bode well for his archrival.
“I have to move on,” he said. “I am more dangerous right now, I am more angry. And I will use it to my advantage.
The fact that the fight that followed his backhand is against Golovkin is something of an advantage for him.
Alvarez would want to make a strong statement regardless of the opponent. However, he does not like Triple-G, who called him a drug cheat after he tested positive for a banned substance between his fights and has made other comments that upset Alvarez.
That makes him particularly determined to finish off Golovkin once and for all.
Álvarez said: “I am going to end his career.”
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Video and photos: Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin III: Grand Arrivals at the MGM Grand
