Billy's Boxing Blog

By William Trillo

The replay of The Canelo vs. GGG 2 bout took place this weekend and I made it a point to stay as far away from it as humanly possible. I saw it live a week ago and I know what I saw. I did not need Harold and his band of Merry Men trying to get me to second guess what I know I saw last week, that being a razor close victory for Canelo. Yes that is how I scored it, the same as the two official judges in the house that night.

I wasn’t sitting with all the A-list journalists on media row that night, but to tell you the truth, I think my seat gave me a much better vantage point than most of the guys 17 rows back on the floor that night, (see photo for my view of the fight above). I had a perfect and unobstructed view and with the state of the art binoculars I had that night, (thanks Augie), I was literally on top of all the action. I will stand by my score as I saw it until the end of time.

Unfortunately there is an inordinate amount of fans, media and boxing insiders that just won’t let it go. Among those is Team Golovkin who are on a mission to make sure everyone knows that straw polls taken around the globe apparently have crowned GGG “The People’s Champ.” Just looking around the horn on Social media I have no doubt everything Team GGG is stating is true…but….the fact of the matter is Canelo won a very close and yes, controversial decision. He is the Champion and it’s time to let it go. Move on, regroup, go back to the drawing board and figure out how you are going to recapture your belts. In the immortal words of The Pretenders, “it’s time to stop all of your sobbing.”

Allow me to share an email I received from one of my peers this week. Actually to call him a peer gives me way too much credit. These thoughts were penned by a seasoned sports journalist who still writes for one of the biggest boxing platforms on the internet. My friend who shall remain anonymous said;

“I totally agree with you on GGG. A Twitter scribe is going all-in on writers saying he was robbed. Total bullsh*t. I had it slightly for Canelo. Every round was so close. Except for 2-3 rounds I thought it was very hard to call them either way. One reason is both fighters IMO didn’t let it air out and take risks. And I didn’t think, as these guys did, that it was a great fight. A good fight, not great. Not enough balls to the wall fight to qualify as great. You want great middleweight fights think of Hagler with Leonard or Hearns. This was two guys fighting in close quarters, being way more conservative than they should have been. Scored either way would’ve been fine with me. Robbery? Hell no.”

Throw in the thoughts I got from Larry Merchant less than 48 hours after the fight concluded, http://www.pound4pound.com/BillysBoxingBlog/2018/09/18/larry-merchant-breaks-down-canelo-vs-ggg-2/, and it’s clear to me the decision rendered was very close but acceptable.

Quoting a line that Golovkin himself used many times, “This is boxing, this is sport,” I think it’s time to set aside the sour grapes, and like a true sportsman, accept the loss and do whatever it takes to re-stake your claim as best at 160 pounds.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

In the aftermath of Canelo Alvarez defeating Gennady Golovkin by a razor thin margin on Saturday night chatter has been blowing up from social media to the water cooler. Everyone has an opinion and although I respect the thoughts of most of the fans and pundits there comes a time when I need to get to the bottom of things and speak to an expert.

Enter Larry Merchant. If there has been one voice of reason in boxing for me it has always been the commentary Merchant offers.

In the wake of yet another controversial Canelo/GGG affair I was thrilled to be able to reach out to Larry to hear him breakdown the rematch.

Pound4Pound: Hello Larry, I’m going to assume you are just getting back from a weekend in Las Vegas.

Larry Merchant: I got back yesterday afternoon after a really good weekend and an outstanding fight.

P4P: The last time we spoke the Canelo drug test controversy had reared its head but you expected things to get worked out and a fight in September would take place. We saw that come to fruition this weekend. You also said back then that you were really looking forward to round 13. Apparently you were not let down at all.

LM: No, I wasn’t let down. I think it was great fight. I don’t think there was any seconds when one of them wasn’t going after the other. And there were many seconds when both were going after each other.

P4P: In regard to the torrid pace of the fight and the tactical strategies of both sides, and considering both men predicted a KO, were you surprised that the fight went the distance?

LM: I wasn’t sure what I was expecting. Neither man showed they could put that kind of hurt on each other in the first fight. I think the main thing is that they were both highly motivated. Whether it was because of the first fight and its aftermath I think that Canelo was inspired in the way that this could redeem him for both what had happened earlier during the drug test and because so much has been expected of him since he was a teenager. I think he showed that the fans who spotted him early and thought he could be the next great Mexican warrior finally have it. For those who were skeptical, I get it. He was a star outside the ring before he was a star inside the ring, sometimes that happens. Some performers just have that certain personality and charisma and body language that puts them out there. Those that hung in there with him are happy and those who were skeptical might have been turned around.

P4P: Were you OK with the final outcome of the fight?

LM: Yes I was. A draw again would have been perfectly acceptable in terms of what went on in the ring, but I thought in the end that Canelo was rewarded for his very excellent body punching. And once again Golovkin did not do much damage to the body. Golovkin was just unable to beat Canelo down to the body. I thought the difference in the body punching was the slight difference in the fight.

P4P: Abel stated after the fight they did plan on working the body but once the fight started that changed. What was it do you think that had Golovkin abandon the body attack?

LM: Well he landed only 8 punches to the body in the first fight. I just think that Canelo had an advantage in his quickness as a counterpuncher and that discourages a guy from going to the body. And Canelo, given his background as a Mexican fighter, going to the body is a priority. That’s something he probably has worked on since he has been in the gym with his brothers from the age of 3 years old. When Canelo went to the body it was with authority and crispness. It was all a part of his varied attack.

P4P: I had jotted down in my notes around round 5 and 6 that Gennady seemed to be laboring. I wondered to myself if maybe he had over-trained and left the fight in the gym, or worst case scenario, he was getting old before our eyes. Do you see any validity to any of those thoughts at all?

LM: Well I do think once he did seem to be out of air, but to his credit he did have another gear and he came back and fought as hard as he could. The intensity was reflection of how hard they trained and the fact that they both could go at that pace for 12 rounds is something we don’t often see. If we have all exalted Golovkin for being one of the best of the best middleweights, which I agree with, then we have to give him credit for his effort and be reminded that Canelo is a world class and top class prize fighter.

P4P: Before the fight Golovkin was begging Canelo to stand in front of him and fight and if he did he would KO Canelo. A lot was made of Canelo “running” in the first fight. Judges are human and if they were privy to Golvokins request do you think it may have swayed them a bit once Canelo did stand in front of him and Golvkin could not produce the KO?

LM: I don’t think so. I think they are aware of the atmospheric background of the fight and they are human. But they have jobs to do and they are pretty darn good at it. The fight was a hairline difference between them. If it had gone either way nobody could have complained. But yes, I do think sometimes the stars are aligned that could influence a few very close rounds. The emotion of the event, the sound of the event, what side of ring they happen to be on, whether they could see the body punches landing. Very often we have seen that fighters have gotten credit for their body punching. It’s all in the mix, they are human not machines, just like the fighters

P4P: Are you ready for round 25?

LM: No I am not.

P4P: Do you think we should get a round 25?

LM: I think they should go out and fight a fight or two. There are some good fighters in the middleweight division. The can both make a lot of money relative to their earning power. And then in a year or so, if they are still the class of the division and the fans want to see it again…then okay. I don’t particularly want to see it in their next fight. I have seen them fight, and I know it’s going to be a good close fight, but I want to see them fight someone else.

P4P: I couldn’t agree with you more. I mentioned that myself. Shoot, the promoters have it set up perfectly. One of you fight Munguia and the other fight Lemieux. Draw straws and let the chips fall where they may and let the winners square off next Cinco De Mayo, no matter who that is.

LM: Yes, but you and I and everyone else knows that Canelo can now call all the shots. He generates the most interest, the most money. If Lemieux has the choice of who he is going to fight we know who he is going to fight, especially since they are both Golden Boy fighters. There are a few others around, Danny Jacobs for instance. Why wouldn’t we want to see a rematch of Jacobs vs. Golovkin? Jermall Charlo is another name out there. It’s not like there are not challengers out there who can make a case for themselves.

As Merchant stated in closing, “It was a good weekend for the old gang”. Hopefully boxing will take note of this past weekend and capitalize on a chock full 160 pound division. They sky is the limit right now in the Middleweight division. Hopefully the powers that be will use this as a springboard for fights at 160 pounds that will harken back to the days of old.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo
Photos: Marlene Marquez

The decision rendered in the Canelo vs. GGG rematch wasn’t a robbery nor was it a travesty of justice. It was an extremely close fight that could have gone either way. For the record I scored the fight 115-113 Canelo. I had an excellent view of the fight from my press box perch and without the distractions of the PPV talking heads commentating on the fight I was able to come to my own unbiased opinion. It’s how I saw the fight.

That being said, in the press box I was flanked on either side by journalists from Mexico. Sharing almost exactly the same perspective as I had it came as more than a surprise to me that less than a minute after the final bell rang both said they gave the fight to GGG.

And so it goes. Looking at the social media reaction today and taking some very unofficial polls into consideration it looks like 2/3 of boxing fans think Golovkin won the fight.

It was far from controversial but this decision will be argued for the rest of the year, or longer.

In a nutshell here is what I saw on fight night; Canelo honored GGG’s pre-fight request not to run. It was a close nip and tuck battle but with Canelo being the aggressor it was hard not to give him rounds that were almost too close to call. It could be the judges felt the same.

Looking over my notes, I wrote down in between rounds 5 and 6 that Golovkin looked to be breathing inordinately heavily which made me wonder if he had over-trained, i.e. left the fight in the gym. I still have reason to believe that may have very well been the case.

Whatever the case may be Canelo was given 4 of the next 5 rounds by the judges and I too had it identically scored.

Showing he has the heart of a champion Golovkin made quite a charge in the final four rounds splitting the tally on two judge’s cards while winning all rounds 9-12 on the card that eventually gave him the draw.

Again, like the two judges who scored it for Canelo, I gave him the last round which was the one that secured his victory.

The fight was close and truly could have gone either way. But with a house full of Mexican boxing fans cheering on every punch thrown by Canelo, even if they didn’t land, and a fighter in Golovkin who appeared to be laboring at times, I can understand how Canelo was given the close Majority Decision nod.

Yes it was a good fight, quite possibly better than the first fight, but let’s get real for a moment here, you guys both promised KO’s but like the first fight you let this one go to the scorecards.…this was far from Hagler/Hearns or even Leonard/Hagler.

Do we want to see it again? I think you can justify a Trilogy, but I do have some requests.

First, can we build some anticipation here before you battle it out again?

Suggestion…on the same night in a venue anywhere but Las Vegas why not have Canelo defend his title against Jaime Munguia and on the undercard let David Lemieux get another crack at Triple G? Let the chips fall where they may and guarantee the winners and the fans a date on Cinco De Mayo for all the marbles.

I’m sure most odds makers would agree that Canelo and Triple G will prevail in those bouts. Personally I think that would create quite a buzz surrounding fight # 3. Sounds like a darn good idea to me.

To recap, I think Canelo won the tightly contested battle and I understand there are those of you who think GGG deserved the victory. But the fact of the matter is Canelo left the building with all the belts and until further notice he is the man at 160 pounds. That fact is indisputable and undeniable.

Manufacturing Munguia Mania

Look, I have zero problems with Munguia. He is a hard working big kid with a fan friendly style that could take him into some big money fights sooner rather than later. But the hype job that’s surrounding the kid is way over the top. I mean c’mon…Brendon Cook is far from a world beater. Let’s not get overly excited. Munguia did what he was supposed to do with an opponent like this. Let the good times roll and throw him in there with Canelo. It’s a can’t lose situation for everyone.

Lemieux Spikes O’Sullivan

David Lemieux drilled Spike O’Sullivan into the canvas in prompt fashion. Talk about making someone eat their words. And speaking of eating, what did the meal consist of that had Lemieux balloon up to almost 180 pounds on fight night.Just the day before David weighed in at under 160 pounds. Good golly David is a huge Middleweight. He seems pretty confident right now…go ahead and give him that rematch with GGG.

Chocolatito

Yes, that was a devastating KO by Gonzalez on Saturday night but that was a shell of the fighter who once was 46-0 and was considered the Pound4Pound best in the biz. Credit to Roman for going over to his fallen foe and praying for him while he was unconscious. If anyone knows how scary that can be it’s Chocolatito who suffered the same fate a few fights back. Let’s hope he puts all that into perspective as he considers his next career move.

Stay tuned to www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

No trip to the fights in Las Vegas would be complete without a stop at my favorite watering hole in Yermo followed by a visit with Elvis to get his prediction on the big fight. With GGG vs. Canelo looming Elvis let fly with this little gem that is certainly a warning to Alvarez and quite possibly a hint that Alvarez past indiscretions may come back to haunt him when he faces Golovkin.

Elvis states, “Live it up today, ‘cuz you never know when you’re gonna go…but…watch out for those pills…you know what I mean?”

Seems to me “The King” has been paying close attention to all the news surrounding this rematch and believes there may have been some foul play afoot.

Do what you will with that, “watch out for those pills” blast, but it seems pretty clear to me Elvis is taking a shot at Canelo and leaning heavily to the side of GGG coming out on top.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news

By William Trillo

Fight week is finally upon. That’s right! After a year of let downs and posturing Middleweight Champion Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez are less than one week away from settling the score that left everyone wanting more after their controversial draw last year. After the 360 Promotions show this past Saturday night, Golovkins promoter Tom Loeffler and his trainer Abel Sanchez held an impromptu press conference for the media in attendance at Super Fly 3. Pound4Pound was on hand and spoke to both men about events leading up to this highly anticipated grudge match. Check out what we spoke to them about:

Pound4Pound: In the first fight everyone on both sides worked hand in hand and it seemed all went pretty smooth leading up to the that fight. But in this promotion for the rematch it’s clear nothing has gone particularly smooth. What can you tell us about that and the ensuing war of words we have seen and heard as the fight draws near.

Tom Loeffler: One thing Gennady has made a point of is that even though he has been very critical of Canelo it was about the positive drug testing and the excuses Canelo has made. GGG has never said anything personally negative about Canelo. It is Gennady’s belief that Canelo tested positive but these things said about the National Anthems and that GGG is not Patriotic, well that was a little bit of a stretch. I don’t know where they came up with that one because the Anthems are going to be played. It’s just that HBO feels, especially when there are three anthems, that’s 20 minutes, that it is a huge speed bump between the Co-Feature and the Main Event. It is no disrespect to the anthems at all, but they are going to be played before the HBO PPV so everyone on the free stream will see the anthems on the preview show as well as everyone in the sold out arena who will see and hear the all the anthems as well. The HBO PPV will start after that, just like it was done here tonight for HBO’s broadcast of Super Fly 3.

Abel Sanchez: I think the insults and that…what did Eric (Gomez) call me? A Crack Head? Really?

TL: I didn’t hear that one.

AS: Oh yeah! And then Chepo calling me Pendejo!

TL: Chepo called you a donkey.

AS: It’s the same damn thing! ….But anyways….if someone can point something out that we have said in that realm I’d welcome it and admit to it…but they can’t! All we are trying to say is the truth and tell what has happened. If it’s a lie then please show us and tell us where it’s a lie….please show us.

TL: We are protecting Triple G’s position! It wasn’t Abel who protested about the gloves even though he got blamed for it, he hasn’t even had a chance to look at them yet.

P4P: Do we have a resolution on the gloves yet at all?

TL: The Nevada State Athletic Commission said that those gloves they want to use, (No Boxing No Life brand), are not going to be allowed in this fight! They submitted to The California Commission as we understand and they won’t approve those gloves for any fight. So it’s not just Nevada. It is things like this that get stretched out and all we want is to have focus in the ring. We don’t want any controversies outside the ring, we just want focus inside the ring as well as a level playing field between these two great warriors.

P4P: So we don’t have to worry about any glove issues next week.

TL: No, not a glove issue, there might be other issues, but there will not be a glove issue!

There is no doubt there is going to be some eleventh hour negotiating before the fighters enter the ring. Whatever the sides agree to, or not, it’s time to step into the ring for round # 13. Only time will tell who comes out on top both outside and more importantly inside the ring.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the GGG vs. Canelo news.