By Keith Idec
LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez has fought 24 challenging rounds against Gennady Golovkin.
Those two completely competitive fights and Golovkin’s victory over Daniel Jacobs still haven’t convinced the Mexican icon that Golovkin is better than his upcoming opponent. Alvarez told a group of reporters Tuesday at MGM Grand that he anticipates an even more difficult fight from Jacobs on Saturday night than either of his two bouts with Golovkin.
“Technically, he’s a much better fighter [than Golovkin],” Alvarez said, according to his translator. “Look, his abilities are much better. He’s much more difficult.”
Kazakhstan’s Golovkin edged Jacobs in a closely contested middleweight title fight in March 2017 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The following September, Golovkin and Alvarez fought to a controversial split draw at T-Mobile Arena, where Alvarez and Jacobs will square off in a middleweight title unification fight. Almost exactly a year later, Alvarez beat Golovkin by majority decision in another 12-rounder.
In Jacobs, Alvarez will encounter yet another elite-level opponent. Since suffering his lone loss to undefeated legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2013, the 28-year-old Alvarez has scored victories over Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto and Golovkin.
The WBA/WBC middleweight champion places Jacobs “at the top” of his list of opponents.
“He’s one of the most complicated [fighters],” Alvarez said. “He has one of the most complete styles in boxing.”
Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) still is an approximate 4-1 favorite over Brooklyn’s Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) approaching a 12-round bout DAZN will stream.
“Saul has fought every style, faced everybody out there,” Jose “Chepo” Reynoso, Alvarez’s co-trainer, said. “We’ve never turned our back. We’ve never rejected any opponent. Similar style? Maybe Erislandy Lara, who’s very difficult. But that’s what he’s prepared for. He has the experience to face Jacobs. Right now, Jacobs is very difficult, tough. He’s the No. 2 – No. 2 in the division, the second-best middleweight. Obviously, Canelo’s the No. 1.”
The 37-year-old Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) is set to face Canada’s Steve Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs) on June 8 at Madison Square Garden. If Alvarez and Golovkin win their upcoming bouts, they are expected to fight a third time, perhaps as soon as September.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.