Will boxing see a super fight followed by the fight of the century within 21 days, or the other way around, or neither?
In fitting with the recent rise in boxing’s popularity, excitement and successes over the past 18 months. It’s no surprise that the boxing public could see two of the biggest fights in boxing history, for two very different reasons, within 21 days of each other.
On August 26th in the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada. The formally retired, unbeaten and widely known as boxing’s pound for pound no1 Floyd “money” Mayweather will take on the UFC’s widely regarded No1 fighter, the former two weight UFC champion and current lightweight UFC champion Conor McGregor.
Just three weeks later. In the same arena. Two of the very biggest names in boxing today and top p4p boxers. 37-0 Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin will take on 49-1 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the unified WBA, IBF and IBO & lineal middleweight titles.
Obviously like most in the boxing world the Mayweather v McGregor fight is nowhere near a super fight or fight to the century caliber, with most predicting an easy win for Mayweather and not even expecting McGregor to land a glove on Mayweather. But I am not so sure.
However, everyone is in eager anticipation waiting for the fight between Canelo and Golovkin, which pits two of the best in the division and boxing period, against each other with the whole boxing world salivating at the mouths, awaiting this monumental battle.
Canelo v GGG too close to call
It’s so close, I have changed my mind on several occasions already on who I think will win and it’s possible I could change again from what I think today.
The fight is just that close. Funny enough, when it was first announced I fought, purely due to boxing ability, Canelo was the favourite. But as it has gone on, I am more leaning towards Golovkin.
Triple G is he slightly taller man and I would say he punches slightly the harder. But this doesn’t mean Canelo does not pack a punch and cannot hurt Golovkin. I believe a vital key to this fight could be lateral movement.
If Canelo can use his boxing ability, and skill, much like how Jacobs thought Golovkin but can stay out of this way (I know, easier said than done) and doesn’t get drawn into a brawl and a macho “lets duke it out” battle, he can frustrate, out manoeuvre and get to Golovkin and possible wear him down to stop him late.
But if he gets caught up with previous claims of when he relinquished the WBC title last May, when people said it was a clear sign of fear of fighting Golovkin. His Mexican machismo could get the better of him, feeling he has something to prove and he may want tough it out with Triple G which could play right into Golovkin’s hands.
After watching his last two fights against Brook & Jacobs. I think Golovkin struggles when fighters keep him guessing and presents a puzzle for him to work out.
I think he’s uneasy when his opponents constantly break his rhythm and is more tactical. The problem with that for other opponents is doing it for 12 rounds.
Jacobs was close and I feel he deserved the decision but getting knocked down didn’t help and you could see he was weary of the power Golovkin possessed in both hands. Though Canelo has knockout power, I believe Golovkin’s power will give him the edge in this fight, as I just can’t see Canelo fighting the way Jacobs did, even though his boxing ability would suggest that’s his best bet for victory.
One last point is, generally, when fights have so much at stake, fighters can cancel each other out from fear of losing and the fight becomes a stalemate. But for some odd reason, I think the magnitude of this fight could have the opposite effect and cause the fight to be a real barnstormer, especially with both skill sets on show, and it will force the fighters to really go all out for the win. I can’t see anything less than a classic…..
Can McGregor make it competitive?
Three weeks before the Canelo v GGG fight. The jury is already out and on whether the Mayweather v McGregor is a worthy of being in the same bracket as the fight 21 days later. Obviously only vast sums of money could only be the cause for these two larger than life, kings of their respective sports to collide, but I suspect, obviously for Conor it’s an opportunity to really test himself and ultimately create a major piece of sporting history.
Not many can see how McGregor can make the fight a competitive one or have a chance against the man that’s 49-0 and has fought top, experienced boxers, spanning over three decades. But I have a feeling it’s not going to be as easy as most are predicting.
After all, greatest boxer of this generation or not. Floyd is now 40 years old and when he steps in the ring, it will be almost two years out of the squared circle.
Many have said it makes a mockery of boxing or even combat sports as McGregor has not yet had a professional boxing match. So if the likes of Marquez, Hatton, Mosley, Canelo or Pacquiao could hardly make a dent in Floyd, how the hell will this novice?
But you have to remember they are all boxers and have grown up learning the art of boxing, something Floyd has in fact mastered.
So in boxing terms, there isn’t an art or technique Floyd has not seen, done or perfected in the ring. This is why he makes this fights look so easy and no boxer has been able to crack that MayVinci code.
But maybe, just maybe. It takes someone, a fighter that hasn’t been brought up in the discipline of boxing, that hasn’t been trained in the boxing arts that Floyd has mastered so well. In order to find what is necessary to crack that code, or even bring something to the table that even a 40-year-old Floyd has never seen before in boxing.
That’s what makes the fight so intriguing. The fact that Conor is not a boxer but he’s a fighter, he is a brawler, he is skilled in the art of hand to hand combat and of course has nothing to lose.
Conor is young, athletic, full of confidence, in his prime and hits extremely hard. Also, the fact that Floyd is not a big puncher gives McGregor a punchers chance. After all, it is boxing, it’s hand to hand combat, where anything can and has happened…..You convinced yet?
