Why You Should Bet on Gennady "GGG" Golovkin against Canelo Alvarez
By Loot, Boxing Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
The September 16 middleweight championship bout between Gennady Golovkin and Saul Alvarez will certainly elicit a lot of betting interest. In terms of merit, it's the top boxing event of the year, regardless of what numbers Mayweather-McGregor do. And unlike the aforementioned bout, GGG vs. Canelo is a fight that a lot of people regard as a toss-up, of sorts. The odds slightly favor GGG, but by fight-night, the odds could be practically deadlocked. In other words, the groundwork is laid to make for a huge boxing event where opinions are split right down the middle.
In this article, we are going to explore the winning case for Gennady "GGG" Golovkin, the unbeaten Kazakh slugger who has captured the imagination of the boxing public with his skills, power, and personality. The 35-year old champion is unbeaten at 37-0 with 33 knockouts coming into the Canelo vs. GGG event. His last fight, a decision win over the gritty Daniel Jacobs was the first time he went the distance in nearly two dozen fights, spanning back 9 years. Despite the form he has shown, some still question him based on the lower quality of opposition he has faced, compared with Alvarez, who has a more-proven track record against elite fighters. Then again, it's important to consider that this is not GGG's fault, as it has taken him a long time to lure a top opponent into the ring, based on how scary he is.
Let's look at the top reasons why it's a good idea to bet on GGG for the upcoming Golovkin-Alvarez fight:
Unflappability: The guy is a stone-faced assassin—plain and simple. His expression never seems to change and nothing seems to rattle him. It's not so much that no one has beaten him; it's that no one has really managed to even wobble him seriously. His last two fights saw opponents having more success than what is typical, but perhaps he has set the standards so high that an opponent having any success registers more. Nothing seems to faze him. He has this ultra-relaxed manner about him when he steps into the ring. In other words, it's not that he can't be beaten, but it's highly unlikely that he's going to do anything to beat himself. His unflappable demeanor allows him to calmly see everything coming, as he maintains his energy and doesn't burn himself out.
Power: A lot of fighters have punching power. Fewer are blessed with the sort of heavy handedness Golovkin possesses. It's not the kind of power that is developed in the gym; it's more of a natural power. He doesn't need to wind up or load up for his power to materialize. It occurs more in the natural flow of Golovkin's offense. He needn't strain to create power behind his shots. And don't be thrown off by Golovkin going the distance in his last fight. Prior to that, he had gone 9 years and 23 fights without an opponent hearing the final bell. And most of that KO production occurred against good fighters. It might not look that flashy, but most of his opponents finish a fight looking like they were either in a car wreck or stung by a horde of bees. Canelo's best opponents were stylists and he hasn't been in with a man who can administer the kind of punishment that is Golovkin's calling card.
Versatility and Knowledge: Some people might get the wrong impression about Golovkin and what he brings to the table skill-wise. People see his lack of overall flash and his glittering KO record and assume he's a slugger. And while that's true to a large extent, he's more sophisticated than your average bombs-away brawler and far more-nuanced. First of all, he puts a punishing jab to good use, as his handle of the fundamentals is expert. And while he is a fighter who relies on power, his knowledge on how to wield it is very advanced. He knows how to control range and is actually more adept when operating at mid or mid-long range. He's tricky and you'll notice a lot of opponents think they're in a safe spot or out of range when they are in fact not.
Durability: One figures that in order for Canelo to win the fight, he will have to hurt Golovkin or at the very least earn his respect. And power is what's going to do it. Truth be told, Canelo has become a better puncher and possesses the kind of one-shot power that can change the complexion of fights and even end them suddenly. But Golovkin has shown he is very durable. A slight wobble against Kell Brook and some rough moments against Danny Jacobs aside, it's hard to remember anyone really putting any kind of dent in the unbeaten champion. So the power that looked so spectacular against the likes of Amir Khan might not resonate as well against a guy with a chin like Golovkin. While GGG has not faced the A-Listers of the boxing world, he has faced some debilitating punchers like Curtis Stevens and David Lemieux and experienced no averse affects.
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Size: There is nothing special about Golovkin from a size standpoint. He's not a small middleweight at 5'10" and a 70-inch reach, but he's not a big one, either. He never really has a size advantage, but will have one in this fight. Canelo is certainly a smallish 160-pounder. He is listed at 5'9" and is at least an inch shorter than that. He has made his name at 154 pounds and while he does put on some weight after the weigh-in, he has never taken on someone who was a legit middleweight. Chavez had some size, but not the skills to threaten Canelo. When picturing GGG being able to punch down on an opponent, it's hard to not picture good things happening for him. Golovkin has faced a lot of opponents who were taller and the prospects of this matchup from a size-standpoint seem to favor GGG. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today and bet the GGG-Canelo fight from the comfort of your home by signing up at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 50% sign-up bonus!
