Wall Street Journal Captures Recent Golovkin-Canelo Sparring Footage
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Michael Woods
LAS VEGAS, NEV. (September 12, 2017) — A lot has been made over the sparring sessions between Boxing’s No. 1 superhero and undefeated WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO middleweight world champion GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN (37-0, 33 KOs)and The Ring magazine and lineal middleweight champion CANELO ALVAREZ (49-1-1, 34 KOs)which took place many years ago. Golovkin, boxing's longest-reigning world champion, has discounted the significance of those sessions.
“Those sparring sessions mean nothing,” Golovkin said. “We helped each other. Don't read anything into it.”
But what about the recent sparring sessions? Oh yes!
On June 20, during the New York leg of the fighters' UK/US media tour, they stopped at The Wall Street Journal for an editorial roundtable. At the conclusion of the interview, the world champions adjourned to The Journal's upstairs studio to film them duking it out for five rounds — of Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots. Supervised by Jason “Enola” Gay, The Journal's Mr. Peabody Award-winning columnist, Golovkin and Alvarez proceeded to try and knock each other's block off. Well, Alvarez tried. Golovkin succeeded — four out of five times.
“If ever there was a harbinger of what will come on September 16, it was that morning at The Wall Street Journal,” said Tom Loeffler, Golovkin's promoter and well-known Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots whistleblower. “After Gennady knocked Canelo's block off for the third consecutive time everyone was getting uncomfortable in the studio. With all the excuses that were coming from their side you'd have thought the WBC had sanctioned this. Gennady finally let Canelo win the fourth bout before closing it out with a stone-cold knockout in the fifth and final fight. The version The Journal put out was edited to make it look even, but there are plenty of witnesses who know the truth.”
“We have the raw footage. It was taken by a member of Team Golovkin,” said Abel Sanchez, Golovkin's longtime head trainer. “I've studied that footage and it confirms what I have been saying for years. Canelo's a slapper. He couldn't handle Gennady's pressure and power then and he won't be able to on Saturday night. On Fight Night, you will hear his corner say the same thing they said at The Wall Street Journal on June 20. No Mas.”
Golovkin, who has been middleweight champion since 2010, is four days away from his 19th consecutive title defense – one short of the all-time record – against lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion and Mexican icon Alvarez. Canelo vs. Golovkin is the long-awaited showdown to determine supremacy of the storied middleweight division and arguably the pound-for-pound rankings.
Canelo vs. Golovkin is a 12-round fight for the middleweight championship of the world presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions and sponsored by Tecate “BORN BOLD”; Hennessy, Never Stop, Never Settle; O’Reilly Auto Parts. Better Parts, Better Prices…everyday!; Fred Loya Insurance; Interjet; Thor: Ragnarok; Fathom Events; Tsesnabank; and Capital Holdings. Diaz, Jr. vs. Lara is 12-round WBC Featherweight Title Eliminator bout presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Caballero vs. De La Hoya is a 10-round fight for the NABF Super Bantamweight Championship presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Martin vs. Rojo is a 10-round lightweight fight for the WBC Continental Americas and vacant WBA Intercontinental Championships presented by Golden Boy Promotions and GGG Promotions in association with Cancun Boxing. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 16 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at a special time of 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.
Remaining Tickets for the closed circuit telecast of Canelo vs. Golovkin at Bellagio Resort & Casino, MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, The Mirage Hotel & Casino, Monte Carlo Resort and Casino, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel and Casino and Circus Circus Las Vegas are priced at $75, not including applicable fees. All seats are general admission and are currently on sale. Tickets may be purchased at any MGM Resorts International Box Office, by phone with a major credit card at 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
Founder/editor Michael Woods got addicted to boxing in 1990, when Buster Douglas shocked the world with his demolition of the then-impregnable Mike Tyson.
The Brooklyn-based journalist has covered the sport since for ESPN The Magazine, ESPN.com, Bad Left Hook and RING. His journalism career started with NY Newsday in 1999.
Michael Woods is also an accomplished blow by blow and color man, having done work for Top Rank, DiBella Entertainment, EPIX, and for Facebook Fightnight Live, since 2017.