Does Canelo need to win to have a shot at "greatness"?

[Real King Kong]

In this type of situation, almost all great fighters in their prime beat the aging champion...canelo is at his absolute peak and ggg is in the back half of his 30s.

Canelo got a pass for losing to Floyd cuz he was "green"...but that doesn't apply anymore.

I personally think Canelo is a step below a true great fighter, but I doubt he thinks that. He certainly has those aspirations...time for him to show and prove.

[Mammoth]

He's 28. There is a lot of time and a lot of good fights for him yet if he doesn't win this weekend.

[Redd Foxx]

For "greatness", yes. He'll have a profitable career no matter what but to really get over as a great, he's got to win definitively. His first high profile opponent clowned him. GG is his chance to say "I'm at that level". He can't blow it again.

[Real King Kong]

For "greatness", yes. He'll have a profitable career no matter what but to really get over as a great, he's got to win definitively. His first high profile opponent clowned him. GG is his chance to say "I'm at that level". He can't blow it again.

Well put...

['b']

I like his red hair, and to be fair, he did beat GGG already.

[BoxingIsGreat]

No. I don't think Golovkin has done anything special to make anyone's resume look great. Who has he beaten? Jacobs?

Greatness with a small g Canelo already is.

[Real King Kong]

No. I don't think Golovkin has done anything special to make anyone's resume look great. Who has he beaten? Jacobs?

Greatness with a small g Canelo already is.

So do great fighters lose to guys who haven't done anything special? I'm talking about Canelo trying to elevate himself to the status of past great fighters...where undoubtedly he'd like to be.

[BoxingIsGreat]

So do great fighters lose to guys who haven't done anything special? I'm talking about Canelo trying to elevate himself to the status of past great fighters...where undoubtedly he'd like to be.

No. He lost only to one great fighter. Canelo has ONE loss. Against Golovkin it was officially a draw and some thought Canelo won.

[Redd Foxx]

Regardless of whether Golovkin has done anything to be considered a great, he's got a ton of heat and beating him is a big deal. So long as Golovkin doesn't go lose a bunch of fights afterward, beating him means something.

[elfag]

yes, he has a lot of names but GGG would be his best win by far.


Right now his biggest win is probably cotto, who got his middleweight title from beating a hobbling sergio martinez with busted knees.

I say probably because Canelo beat fighters who did and would have beat cotto (trout/lara) but cotto is the bigger name