Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was just too good for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Alvarez knew it, Chavez Jr. knew it, and Golden Boy Promotions knew it.
That’s why as soon as Alvarez’s runaway unanimous decision was announced, they quickly transitioned into a pre-planned fight announcement that fans have waited years to hear.
Alvarez announced he’ll take on unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin on Sept. 16, cueing a promotional video on the big screen. Golovkin’s famous “Seven Nation Army” walkout song creeped into the arena and Golovkin made his way to the ring as if he were going to fight Alvarez right then and there.
Instead the two traded barbs, getting a jump-start on the promotion for their fall mega-fight, and the arena was showered with confetti.
“Triple-G, you are next my friend,” Alvarez proclaimed in the ring. “The fight is done. I’ve never feared anyone since I was 16, fighting as a professional. When I was born, fear was gone.”
Alvarez had just finished embarrassing the crowd-favorite — and fellow countryman — Chavez Jr. for 12 rounds, prompting thousands of boos during the latter rounds of the fight. But in mere minutes Alvarez had the record-setting crowd of 20,510 eating out of his hand.
“I expect a fight that will be explosive,” Alvarez said. “The styles are there and they should mesh together. On my part that is what you’re going to see.”
As for where the fight will take place, Oscar De La Hoya wouldn’t say.
“Everywhere in the world is bidding over this fight,” De La Hoya said. “I have gotten calls from everywhere, from Dubai to the UK where (Anthony) Joshua and (Wladimir) Klitschko just fought.”
Alvarez improved his already stellar record to 51-1-1 with 34 wins by knockout with the 120-108 unanimous decision win over Chavez Jr. The fight was never in question as Alvarez battered the 31-year-old with combinations that swelled his right eye and broke his spirit.
The 26-year-old now lays claim to victories over Chavez Jr., Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and Amir Khan, but the biggest crack of his quickly expanding legacy has been his reluctance to fight Golovkin.
That appears to be in the past, as the fight the boxing world has clamored for is just over the horizon.
De La Hoya, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said the fight between Alvarez and Golovkin is, “signed, sealed and delivered.”
“This is the most anticipated fight since Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao,” De La Hoya said. “The difference is this fight will have a lot of action.”
Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) currently holds the unified World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and International Boxing Organization (IBO) middleweight titles.
The 35-year-old from Kazakhstan fights at 160 pounds – six pounds heavier than Canelo has traditionally fought. But Canelo looked to be in spectacular shape during tonight’s catch-weight bout of 164.5 pounds.
“I felt very good,” Alvarez said. “I want to show that regardless of size, I’m better than my opponents.”
Golovkin is coming off a unanimous decision win over Daniel Jacobs on March 18 at Madison Square Garden that many felt he lost. That decision ended a streak of 23-straight wins by knockout for Golovkin.
“This is the biggest fight in boxing,” Golovkin said. “It’s a tough fight for both of us because we are two great champions. It is an amazing fight for everybody.”
De La Hoya said they have been in negotiations for weeks but they were relatively painless.
“When you have fighters that want to make the best fights it makes the job much easier,” De La Hoya said. “We have an opportunity to bring boxing back. Boxing has been on a hiatus but no more. It will be back and better than ever.”
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