By Keith Idec
Canelo Alvarez can’t understand all this animosity from Gennady Golovkin.
From Alvarez’s viewpoint, Golovkin should be thankful for their two fights, no matter what has transpired since their first fight was finalized 15 months ago. Golovkin likely will have earned more than $50 million combined for their two bouts once he receives payment from their middleweight championship rematch September 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
As popular as Golovkin has become, the WBA/WBC/IBO middleweight champion wouldn’t have made anywhere near that much money for fighting opponents other than Alvarez. For all the controversy Alvarez has endured over the past 11 months, the Mexican superstar still consistently generates more revenue than any active boxer in the sport.
“I know they are bothered, but I don’t know why since it is I who has made them gain so much [money],” Alvarez said in quotes released Tuesday from his training camp in San Diego. “They say they don’t worry about that. They say they don’t fight about that, but that’s the first thing they fight about – the money, the purse. There’s nothing else they care about more. It’s hypocritical for them to say otherwise.”
Kazakhstan’s Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) insists he was willing to walk away from this very lucrative rematch if Oscar De La Hoya, Alvarez’s promoter, didn’t agree to a 55-45 purse split that favors Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs). Tom Loeffler, Golovkin’s promoter, had a deal in place for the 36-year-old Golovkin to instead box WBO middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders (26-0, 12 KOs) on August 25 at The Forum in Inglewood, California, when it appeared De La Hoya wouldn’t budge off the 42.5 percent he offered Golovkin.
De La Hoya begrudgingly agreed to Golovkin’s demand for 45 percent June 13. Since their rematch was finalized, Golovkin and his trainer, Abel Sanchez, have continued to blast Alvarez for failing two performance-enhancing drug tests in February.
The 28-year-old Alvarez reiterated Tuesday that they’ve gone too far in criticizing him for forcing the cancelation of their rematch May 5.
“I don’t know why Golovkin’s corner or team have been aggressive in their talks,” Alvarez said. “It may be because of the rivalry. I don’t know. I think they’ve gone too far. They’ve gone beyond just trying to sell the fight with their statements. I don’t like talking or instigating with the fighter, or even trying to make a show to sell the fight. People know that when we get into the ring, we’re going to have a great fight – period.
“In some sense, he might have offended me. But I always consider who’s saying what. The truth is that Golovkin is my opponent, so I understand it. With Abel Sanchez, it doesn’t worry me at all. Because at the end of the day, what about him? At the end of the day, he’s not going to get in the ring with me.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
