By Edward Chaykovsky
The biggest fight brewing for 2016 is still far from a done deal. If the stars fall in line, then Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will defend the WBC middleweight title against WBA/IBO/IBF champion Gennady "GGG" Golovkin in the fall.
The World Boxing Council ordered the winner of last November's fight between Canelo and Miguel Cotto to face Golovkin (34-0, 31KOs) next. Canelo (46-1-1, 32KOs) won a twelve round decision to capture the WBC championship.
After some back and forth discussions with the WBC, the sanctioning body allowed both fighters to have interim-bouts before their mandatory showdown. Golovkin will return on April 23rd, and Canelo is going to see action two weeks later on May 7th.
If the fight actually goes down, Showtime's expert analyst Al Bernstein has no idea how Canelo can possibly pull off a victory.
Bernstein gives Golovkin several advantages- in experience, size, power, skill. Canelo's only edge on paper is youth and potentially speed. Both fighters have good defensive skills. One of the major obstacles at the moment in making the fight a reality is the weight limit. Canelo has never fought beyond a catch-weight of 155-pounds and wants to face Golovkin at that exact weight - but GGG wants the full middleweight limit of 160-pounds.
"Well I hope it happens this September, that would give Canelo time to gain his weight. Gennady Golovkin’s problem is that nobody will fight him for the most part. I hope that fight happens, I think Golovkin is the clear winner in that fight, it’s hard for me to figure out a way that Canelo can beat him," Bernstein said to On The Ropes Boxing Radio.
"It could be a very interesting and exciting fight, potentially, but Canelo isn’t a big middleweight and Golovkin has certainly been at 160lbs for a long time. I just can’t imagine Golovkin losing that fight, but I hope it happens, it would be a monstrous fight for the sport."