The third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin next Saturday in Las Vegas will put an end to one of the most compelling rivalries in recent years.
He could also shake up Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound rankings even though none are as high on the list as they once were.
Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) dropped from No. 2 to No. 7 after his one-sided loss to light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol on May 7 at T-Mobile Arena, the same venue where the next confrontation with Triple-GRAMO.
And Golovkin, 40, once near the top of the list, has gradually slipped down due to a series of regular performances and the rise of other fighters. He is currently ranked 13th.
What would a win for Alvarez do? Little bit. The 32-year-old super middleweight champion is a significant favorite over his challenger, who is perceived to be on the decline and moving up in weight for the fight.
Álvarez is likely to retain his current job if he raises his hand.
If Golovkin scores, what would be a monumental upset? Well, it could go back to the Top 10 depending. More importantly for Kazakhstani, he would claim the biggest victory from her and extend her status as one of the sport’s biggest stars.
And naturally, Alvarez, considered by many to be the best in the business before the Bivol fight, would suffer another knockdown. Could he recover from that?
Yes, the stakes will be high on September 17.
This is what the list looks like right now:
POUND FOR POUND BOXING ADDICT
Terence Crawford – Reportedly in talks to face Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed welterweight championship before the end of the year. Naoya Inoue – Reportedly, he has agreed to meet Paul Butler for the undisputed bantamweight championship on December 13 in Japan. Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled. Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly in talks to face Terence Crawford for the undisputed welterweight championship before the end of the year. Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to defend his WBA light heavyweight title against Gilberto Ramirez on November 5 in the United Arab Emirates. Canelo Alvarez – Scheduled to defend his undisputed super middleweight titles in a third fight with Gennadiy Golovkin on September 17. Vasiliy Lomachenko – He will reportedly face Jamaine Ortiz on October 29 in New York, but no official announcement has been made. Juan Francisco Estrada – There is no scheduled fight. Jermell Charlo – Reportedly will defend his undisputed junior middleweight championship against Tim Tszyu on January 28, but no official announcement has been made. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled. Artur Beterbiev: Was scheduled to defend his unified titles against Anthony Yarde on October 29. However, the fight was postponed after Beterbiev was injured. Gennadiy Golovkin – Scheduled to face undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez for the third time on September 17. Jermall Charlo: No fights scheduled. Shakur Stevenson – Scheduled to defend his unified junior lightweight titles against Robson Conceicao on September 23 in Newark, New Jersey.
Honorable Mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Devin Haney (scheduled to defend his undisputed lightweight championship in a rematch with George Kambosos Jr. on Oct. 16 in Australia); Josh Taylor (reportedly in talks to defend his WBO junior welterweight title in a rematch with Jack Catterall, but no deal).
