Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has named Gennady Golovkin as the toughest fight of his career. The four-weight world champion and undisputed super-middleweight king made this revelation in a recent interview, looking back on his nearly two-decade-long boxing journey.
Canelo's career started way back in 2005 when he was just 15 years old. He's faced a who's who of boxing legends since then, including Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley, and Sergey Kovalev. But it's 'GGG' who stands out as his most challenging opponent.
The Mexican superstar won his first world title in 2011 against Matthew Hatton. He went on to become undisputed at super-middleweight by beating Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant. Despite all these achievements, Canelo's had his share of setbacks. He's lost twice in his career - once to Floyd Mayweather and once to Dmitry Bivol.
But it's his rivalry with Golovkin that Canelo considers the toughest. The two fighters have squared off three times. Their first bout in September 2017 ended in a draw, with many feeling Golovkin deserved the win. Canelo got the nod in the rematch 12 months later, handing 'GGG' his first and only professional loss in 45 fights.
Their final meeting in 2022 saw Canelo win unanimously at super-middleweight. This time, there was no controversy about the result.
In his interview with Dan Canobbio, Canelo made it clear that Golovkin pushed him harder than any other opponent. It's a testament to both fighters' skills and determination that their rivalry stands out in Canelo's mind, even after facing so many other boxing greats.
This revelation from Canelo adds another layer to their already storied rivalry. It shows that even for a champion of Canelo's caliber, Golovkin presented a unique and formidable challenge. Their trilogy will go down as one of boxing's great modern rivalries, cementing both men's legacies in the sport.
