It’s not easy to talk about legendary boxers, some of the greats of all time and also current champions without fans and tempers flaring up. Current 160 pound legend Gennadiy Golovkin along with Román “Chocolatito” González & Sergey “The Crusher”Kovalev where the last great stable of boxers featured on HBO Boxing.

Kovalev has recently shown that he is not the same fighter he once was and I believe Gonzalez still has a bit more in the tank and I see him steam rolling his way to another championship title this coming up Saturday in Texas.

Let’s talk Mexican Style & Big Drama Show:

First, I believe that GGG beat Canelo Alvarez handily in their first fight by about 3 rounds. In the second fight, I thought Alvarez took the fight to GGG stealing many of the early rounds and edged the fight by 1 or 2 rounds. In the second fight, GGG was put under a lot of pressure as it was evident for his need to store and secure energy for the later rounds, it was the first time I saw weakness in what maybe (arguably)the best boxer we have seen in the past 20 years.

Let me be clear; If GGG & Cinnamon fought each other in the peak of their powers, I believe GGG would have completely dominated Alvarez in every way.

The Reality:

Triple G’s last chance to give Alvarez a good fight was the night he knocked Steve Rolls out cold in the third round at MSG some eight month ago on June 8th, 2019. In the fight, Rolls won the 2nd round and snapped GGG’s head back like never before.

Sergiy Derevyanchenko:

Say what you Will about Sergiy Derevyanchenko, but we can argue he should be undefeated because he outboxed Daniel Jacobs & GGG, he was the much busier fighter in both fights, but had a flash knockdown in round one of both fights.

Is Triple G Washed Up???

You can make the argument that the reason the referee did not stop the GGG / Derevyanchenko fight in round 10 is because of the big names and stage. Referees have no choice but to have a longer leash when it comes to the most famous and biggest boxers on the planet, safety comes first but remember referees also need to keep their job. Sergiy Derevyanchenko was landing straight on head shots on Golovkin with Golovkin playing no defense whatsoever. Even the most DieHard GGG fan has to admit that he got outworked in the fight, by a determined & hungry prize fighter ( many argue to look at Derevyanchenko’s face, but that’s not a good argument on many levels). Again if this was two no-name fighters, the fight would have been stopped, not because Triple G was wobbled but because you have to look out for the safety of the fighters and what possible internal damage could occur, as fans know sometimes a fighter could be too tough for his own good.

Golovkin still has the power and chin ( never been wobbled). The stamina to fight elites like Derevyanchenko or Alvarez is gone. His fighting schedule has been sporadic for a reason kept confidential, truth is he simply needs more recovery time because of his age, Add that to his current injuries suffered in training and a fair question ensues.

The Bottom Line:

GGG has one more good fight left in him this coming up year against a 160 boxer he hasn’t fought before.

2021 will not be favorable for GGG if he fights the top guys or moves up in weight. His pride will want him to continue his career, but that may not be in his best interest. Two years ago, GGG could have given anyone @ 168 a run for their money, not any longer thou.

I was very excited about the prospect of a third fight with Alvarez, but after his last performance in combination with age and his body breaking down, not as much anymore.

GGG dropped out of Boxing Action Magazine Top 10 P4P last December for the first time in 10 years; and I don’t think he’ll be back.

Is GGG A Washed -Up Boxer?

Photos Courtesy of Ed Mulholland/ Matchroom Boxing USA