After the victory in the trilogy fight over the unified middleweight champion (up to 72.6 kg) from Kazakhstan Gennady Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs), the absolute champion of the second middleweight (up to 76.2 kg) Mexican Canelo Alvarez (58 -2-2, 39 KOs)
press conference.
In a series of questions and answers, Canelo talked about his attitude towards his opponent, the ups and downs of the fight, the injury aggravated in the fight, stitches, attitude towards former US champion David Benavidez (26-0, 23 KOs) and his foreseeable future.
Report from vRINGe: Redhead superhero Jagganath
Canelo, can you tell us more about your hand injury? When did you damage it? Was there an injury before the fight and did it get worse in the fight?
“I’ve had these issues since the Caleb Plant fight. I thought: “It’s okay, it’s okay, I’ll deal with it later.” But it only got worse. Now I need an operation.
– How much did your arm hurt during the fight?
– I really hurt a lot.
– Is there a fracture?
– No, there is not a fracture, a meniscus, a wrist injury, but not a fracture.
— [добавляет доктор] He’s got a rupture of the triangular fibromatic complex, which is a piece of cartilage in his wrist. This has effects on the body’s ability to mobilize this joint without feeling sharp pain. If he has surgery, it will probably take 6 to 12 weeks. It will depend on the success of the rehabilitation.
— [Канело] But I want a break anyway. My body needs it. Last year I fought four times in 11 months. That’s why I want to take some rest. Maybe I’ll be back in May or September, I don’t know. But I need to rest.
– What can you say about the score of the fight? Most people saw your victory much more convincingly.
– I didn’t hear the score. I just heard: “Still a champion…” That’s all. Look, I respect the judges. They saw the fight like this. I’m alright. We took the victory.
- I’m still a champion guys. And Canelo is a real warrior – the words of Golovkin after the fight
“The first eight rounds were very different from the first two fights. Why did this happen, and what has changed since the ninth round?
– I think towards the end of the fight, I obviously began to feel tired. This is because we couldn’t do explosive work in the hall. But despite all the problems we had, I was really happy with my performance.
– You had three fights with Golovkin. The first two people considered controversial. Today was the first time you were a clear winner. Can you explain your satisfaction with the completion of the trilogy and the end of it with a result that no one will dispute? You were the best today and you are the right winner.
“This victory is very satisfying. Despite all my problems, I was able to show myself in the ring today. I wanted to finish the fight with a knockout, but it didn’t work out because he is a great fighter. That’s why there are 12 rounds in the fight and they showed who is the best. So I’m really happy with what I did tonight. With my hand problems, I jabbed the best jabber in the world, Gennady Golovkin.
– Very often, in the promotion of this fight, it came to personal hostility. You thought that he did not respect you, but as soon as the fight was over, you hugged and kissed like best friends. How were you able to switch from bad feelings to good ones after winning?
“Look, I respect him as a fighter. As a person, I don’t know. But I don’t want to take it to a higher level because I see myself as a good person. So I told him: “I was glad to share the ring with you, and we gave people three good fights that went down in boxing history.”
- Incredible. The end of the feud between Golovkin and Canelo – here’s the proof: photo
Did you get stitches after the fight?
— Yes, five or six stitches over the right eye.
– After the fights with Bivol and Golovkin, can your opponents see ways to defeat you? How to see the strategy, maybe bore you and take the ending…
“Everyone can see how they can beat me, but very few people can really beat me. It’s very hard to beat me.
“We can say it was your retribution. Today you outright defeated Gennady Golovkin. Do you regret the hatred you had towards him before the fight?
“Honestly, I’m really happy to beat one of the best fighters in the world, Gennady Golovkin. Perhaps in the future there will be another fighter with whom I will have a similar relationship. We had three fights. I respect him as a fighter.
Did you expect more from Golovkin in this fight, and what do you think stopped him from being the same Golovkin?
“Look what I felt—he didn’t throw his right hand because maybe he thought I was going to counter. That’s why he constantly threw out the left one. And I just did my job. It was also very difficult to hit him, he constantly defended everything.
– How long will your vacation last, and who will be your next opponent?
“I won’t stop training completely. I will continue to do light workouts and exercises until my arm and my body are fully recovered.
Who will you dedicate your victory to?
– To my team, my family, who constantly support me. This victory is for them.
- Why Alvarez didn’t knock out Golovkin: what Canelo said
– Most of your career is connected with Golovkin. Now it’s all over. What does the end of the Golovkin rivalry mean for Canelo’s personal history?
– It was really important. All three fights that you saw were very important for me, for my country, for my people. This is one of the best wins of my career and I enjoy continuing to make history.
We know that you were talking about a rematch with Bivol. But you also said that you hope Ramirez wins this fight. If Ramirez wins, you don’t want to fight him because you’re both Mexican. Therefore, at 76.2 kg, the best fight is you against Benavidez. He was born in America, he is half Ecuadorian. Is he considered Mexican and could this fight take place in the future?
– I dont know. Anything can happen. Guys, when I answer questions, you cut it out of the video and paste it anywhere. When I say I don’t want to fight Mexicans, it’s because I represent Mexico. That’s why. But I do not care. I will fight anyone. And I’ve fought every fighter in my life. Do you think I don’t want to fight Benavidez? See, I heard he talked a lot of shit. Look what he has achieved. Nothing! Defeated one champion Anthony Direll. Please have respect for me. Please guys. I date the best. I never avoided anyone.
– It is clear that you need more time to recover, but thinking about a rematch with Bivol and possible other opponents, do you want people like Benavidez to fight each other?
“They can do whatever they want. After all, I don’t care who they fight. They can do whatever they want. I don’t give a fuck.