Canelo Alvarez KO Khan and now turns attention to GGG
Facing former British Olympian Amir Khan, Alverez took less than six rounds to cause the stoppage, with a right hand that delivered the best knockout of the year to date.
With the Mexican down on the scorecard midway through the scheduled rounds, Khan made an uncharacteristic mistake in exposing his chin to the hard-hitting red head.
Canelo, seeing his opportunity, struck with a brutal right hook, knocking out Khan immediately.
Alvarez made a successful first defense of the title he won from Miguel Cotto six months ago, there was no escaping questions about Golovkin, who owns two world title belts as well as an interim one that makes him Alvarez’s mandatory challenger.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya, who represents Alvarez and had previously been noncommittal about making a Golovkin fight, gave hope to those who want to see it so badly.
“Those negotiations will happen behind closed doors, and when we come to an agreement, we will let everyone know,” De La Hoya said at the post-fight news conference. “That’s the fight to make. [Sunday] I will make the call. I will start negotiating, and I really hope we can make an agreement.
“If that’s the fight Canelo wants, I will get some well-deserved rest and when I wake up start making some phone calls. I’ve always said come May 8 we will start negotiating with Golovkin’s people.”
De La Hoya, however, made it clear who he says has the leverage in such talks.
“Canelo is the superstar. There’s no doubt who the man is in boxing,” De La Hoya said. “It’s like a game of poker. I have four aces, and they probably have a pair of twos.”
The only reason Alvarez faced Khan, who was moving up two weight classes, was because he and his team wanted to put the Golovkin fight off a bit longer. The camps made a deal under which they would each take interim bouts and then fight in September. If Alvarez declines the fall fight, he would be stripped of his belt and Golovkin would get it with his interim tag being dropped.
Golovkin, who has made it clear he will accept the short end of the money and the B-side of the promotion, wants the fight and does not want it delayed
After Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) knocked out England’s Khan (31-4, 19 KOs), he invited Golovkin into the ring to, as he explained, show that he is not afraid to fight him.
“We didn’t really have any words, but the main thing is this: We are going to fight,” Alvarez said. “But not because it’s a mandatory. I don’t care about this. We don’t have to fight for the belts, but we are going to fight.”
