Demetrius Andrade may have boxed himself out of a shot at Canelo, so will GGG step up?
Demetrius Andrade was going to defeat Maciej Sulecki on Saturday regardless of which style either man fought. Andrade is simply that much more gifted than Sulecki.
But the style that Andrade’s father/trainer, Paul, discouraged him from using after the first round is the style that would have made him a more palatable net opponent for either Canelo Alvarez, his primary target, or Gennadiy Golovkin, his second choice.
Paul Andrade’s last words to his son before he got off the stool to fight the second round were, “Don’t make this a war; make it a boxing match.”
Ever the dutiful son, that’s exactly what Demetrius did. He boxed rings around Sulecki, making him look foolish at times, and won every round going away for a decisive 120-107 victory on all three judges scorecards.
But those 11 rounds, while brilliant technically, aren’t likely to make either Alvarez or Golovkin fight him unless it’s absolutely necessary.
It’s sad that it has come to that in boxing, but Andrade has to deal with the realities of the marketplace. The fight to make is Alvarez-Golovkin III, but Alvarez is showing interest in a light heavyweight fight with Sergey Kovalev.
Chasing a bout with Kovalev is exactly why Alvarez is so beloved. It’s a risky fight, one he could lose, and it’s not one he has to take. Alvarez is going to the International Boxing Hall of Fame when his career ends, pretty much regardless of what he does from this point forward.
Alvarez didn’t fight Golovkin until 2017 because he didn’t feel he was fully a middleweight, but if he takes on Kovalev in September, it will be his fourth division in three years. Alvarez fought Liam Smith at super welterweight on Sept. 17, 2016. He fought Golovkin twice and Daniel Jacobs at middleweight and fought Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Rocky Fielding at super middleweight.
The preference from most fans is a third bout with Golovkin, but not too many are going to complain if they get Alvarez-Kovalev in September instead. It’s a fight filled with intrigue and carries the possibility of Alvarez getting stopped for the first time in his career.
And while Kovalev is nowhere near the fighter he was at his peak five years ago, he’s still a quality light heavyweight, which he proved in February in a win over Eleider Alvarez (no relation to Canelo). A win over Kovalev would be significant for Alvarez and would give him world titles at four different weight classes.
DAZN, of course, will push Alvarez to face Golovkin, because it has invested massively in both men and the fight between them would still do huge business.
But it’s hard to fault Alvarez if he wants to take on Kovalev. That would leave Golovkin looking for an opponent, with either of the most logical matches, Andrade or WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders.
This leaves Golovkin in an odd spot, because it will be difficult for him to look good against either of those opponents. Andrade, in particular, could give the 37-year-old fits with his defensively oriented style.
Since losing to Alvarez last year, Golovkin has revamped his team, dismissing his managers, his trainer and his personal attorney. He’s asked members of his team to sign non-disclosure agreements and has put a lid on all discussion about his career.
His promoter, Tom Loeffler, wouldn’t discuss Golovkin’s options other than to say a third Alvarez fight is his choice.
“I can’t officially comment on the opponent process, [but] naturally Canelo is the top choice,” Loeffler said. “If that doesn’t work for whatever reason, then we would sit down with GGG and DAZN and figure out the next best alternative.”
The best alternative would almost certainly be Andrade, who holds a belt in his division. He’d be more palatable to Golovkin had he fought the last 11 rounds the way he did the first.
But there is a good chance Andrade would be even more elusive against Golovkin than he was against Sulecki, and that wouldn’t be good for anyone. It wouldn’t be fun for fans, and it’s hard to see DAZN selling a lot of new subscriptions to people eager to see Golovkin-Andrade.
If Alvarez gets the go-ahead to fight Kovalev, though, Golovkin is going to have to suck it up and fight Andrade.
Until then, expect Team GGG to do a lot of lobbying convincing John Skipper, DAZN’s chairman, to make the third fight with Alvarez. No doubt that’s Skipper’s presence, as well. Alvarez, though, won’t be bullied into anything and it has to be galling to Golovkin that a significant part of his future is in the hands of his most bitter rival.
That’s boxing in 2019, though. Golovkin may well have to learn to live with it.
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