LAS VEGAS — While unified middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin has made his views on Canelo Alvarez and the two performance-enhancing drug tests he failed in February well known, GGG has been somewhat measured, though pointed, in his comments.
The same cannot be said for Abel Sanchez, Golovkin’s longtime trainer, who has shredded Alvarez time and again. Sanchez was at it again Thursday, just three days before Canelo and GGG meet in their heavily anticipated rematch Saturday (HBO PPV, 8 p.m. ET) at T-Mobile Arena.
“Triple G versus Triple C is finally here. Canelo Con Carne is finally going to face the music from the man he has avoided most, Gennady Golovkin,” said Sanchez, mocking Alvarez’s explanation — he said he ate contaminated beef in Mexico — for why he had clenbuterol in his system. “All those months of excuses, the aiding and abetting and the enabling by Canelo’s team, will finally come to an end on Saturday night.”
Since Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs), 28, of Mexico, failed the two tests in February, forcing the rematch to be canceled from its original May 5 date, renegotiated and then rescheduled for Saturday, Sanchez has been on Alvarez’s case about everything from the failed tests to how he fought Golovkin last September. Sanchez has said repeatedly that Alvarez ran rather than stand and fight.
“Gennady is boxing’s longest-reigning world champion (since 2010), but I don’t think he has really been appreciated until he stood up for the sport of boxing and boxing fans after Canelo flunked two random drug tests in February,” Sanchez said. “Instead of being upfront and honest about it, Canelo and his team trotted out an old wheeze about the Mexican beef industry. Instead of apologizing to Gennady, Canelo and his team continued to dress themselves in clothes made of entitlement and arrogance.
“No, Saturday night’s rematch isn’t about revenge, it’s about respect. It’s about Gennady defending the heritage of a great sport and the honor of that sport’s great fans. It’s about fairness, where two athletes compete on an even playing field, adhering to the rules and shining a light when others try to circumvent their own regulations. Sunshine is a great disinfectant.”
A victory by Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs), 36, would be his 21st consecutive middleweight title defense and will break the division record he shares with Bernard Hopkins, one of Alvarez’s promoters at Golden Boy.
“Gennady has trained hard for this fight. He has had a different edge in this training camp and has trained with a purpose,” Sanchez said. “To win a fight you have to try to win the fight. You win a fight by doing damage to your opponent and making it a battle. Does Gennady want to knock out Canelo on Saturday night? You betcha and it will be a public service to the sport and the Mexican beef industry he has selfishly maligned.”