Saul “Canelo” Alvarez lifted the WBC title from Miguel Cotto in November, and speculation immediately turned to a potential fight vs. Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, the WBA, IBF, IBO middleweight champion. Most fighters have ducked Golovkin, who owns a knockout streak that has spanned his last 21 fights.
The two have reportedly come to an agreement, that allows for each fighter to have one voluntary defense of their titles before facing off, per ESPN’s Dan Rafael.
Canelo vs. Golovkin Must Happen Without A Catch Weight
Breaking: @Canelo & @GGGBoxing make deal and as expected they each get interim bouts. If fight not finalized after that purse bids. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) December 14, 2015
Alvarez, new to the middleweight division, can use this tune-up fight to adjust to the new weight class. Here are three opponents who will help him prepare for “GGG.”
Daniel Geale (31-4, 16 KO)
Both Golovkin and Cotto knocked out Geale, so why not invite Alvarez to the party? Geale is the perfect fighter to get Alvarez ready for a lengthy campaign at 160 pounds. Geale is a legitimate, top-10 middleweight, who can be counted on to give a game effort. He doesn’t have enough power to shock Canelo with an upset, but he’s not such a pushover that the fight would come off as embarrassing.
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Geale also allows Alvarez to treat his legions of fans to a “free” fight on HBO, before asking them to pay the exorbitant PPV fee for when he fights Golovkin.
Willie Monroe Jr. (19-2, 6 KO)
Monroe is another slick fighter with experience vs. Golovkin who does not pose a threat to knock out Alvarez. Monroe acquitted himself well in his TKO loss to “GGG,” having more success than most.
Monroe tasted Golovkin’s power in the second round but survived and even had a big round vs. GGG in the fourth. He eventually couldn’t hold up to Golovkin’s assault, and that’s likely what would happen vs. Alvarez. But Monroe proved he can take a punch, land vs. a technically sound opponent, and give fans an exciting show even without elite power.
Curtis Stevens (27-5, 20 KO)
If Canelo wants to feel true middleweight power, he need look no further than Stevens, who is another former Golovkin opponent. Stevens is not a perfect fighter; he has five losses in his career, and they’re not all against elite talents like Golovkin. He is one-dimensional, but powerful.
On top of giving Alvarez a gauge of what its like to taste the power of a hard-hitting 160-pounder, Stevens will provide more fireworks than Geale or Monroe would, because he’d have the guts to try and trade with Alvarez. James Kirkland will tell him all about how that panned out.
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