The unified world middleweight champion (up to 72.6 kg) from Kazakhstan Gennady Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) became a guest of the latest edition of the podcast of the American martial arts columnist Teddy Atlas The Fight with Teddy Atlas.
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broadcast Gennady spoke about the upcoming third fight against the absolute champion of the second middleweight (up to 76.2 kg) Mexican Canelo Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs), the current training camp, refereeing Alvarez’s fights, compared his former coach Abel Sanchez with his current mentor Jonathon Banks and spoke about the relationship with the “super champion” WBA light heavyweight division Russian Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs).
- Saul Alvarez – Gennady Golovkin: forecast and bets for the fight on September 18
– How is the training camp going and how do you feel psychologically? Because boxing is 75% psychology. You look great. Where is Gennady Golovkin, the great middleweight champion, in terms of psychology now?
— Yes, I really feel very good. Very comfortable as you can see. As you know, I’ve been here in Big Bear for quite a long time, quite a long period. So I have already acclimatized. I’m already used to everything. Now such a sparring stage. There is basically nothing new. We also work hard, focusing on all the details. Everything is going great. Even more, I feel much better than usual. I feel much calmer and much more comfortable. There is no this stressful atmosphere, which, in principle, used to be – misunderstanding, ignorance of something. That is, we approach everything very calmly. In all areas there are specialists, which makes me very happy.
– Personally, I think that you won two fights with Canelo. You had two different fights. In the first one, you were like the old Gennady – you pressed, you were the boss, you were a stronger fighter in various options. And the second time you fought the fight differently. You boxed more, jabbed more, fought longer distances, and added some pressure later on. What will be the strategy for the third fight?
– I really have plans now, I have a strategy, but you perfectly understand that the fight does not depend on one opponent. Especially at this level where we are. The fight is done by two boxers. So let’s see what Canelo comes up with first. I’m ready for any scenario. If he wants to box right at close range, it will be at close range. If at a long distance – it will be at a long distance. That is, in this fight, I think we will show everything. It may even be more likely that it will come to a knockout. Let’s see. We are ready for any scenario. I am sure that this fight will be done by two athletes. Let’s see who will be better in this fight. In different components, who will look better.
– Abel Sanchez prepared you for the first two fights. Jonathon Banks is preparing you now. Can you tell the fans what is the main difference in the approach of the coaches?
It’s hard to compare now. It will probably be wrong to compare my previous two fights with my future fight, because the time is different. I will say one thing – I do not want to belittle the dignity of my two coaches. Really very good professionals. The difference is in the details of preparation. Not how they behave during the battle, that’s not the point. It’s in the details. That is, those things when you train, when you prepare for 3 months for a fight, how you approach the training process and what goes into this training process. I think that Jonathon allows a little more. As they say, boxing is evolving, that is, some additives. This is work with a fitness trainer, these are nutritionists, and we are trying various experiments. It’s different. That is the preparatory process.
- Canelo knocks out Golovkin: an elite fighter told why
Your first two fights with Canelo were middleweight. This fight will be super middleweight. How will this affect your strategy, your preparation for battle? Is it because now you are fighting a bigger fighter, whereas in the past you were a bigger fighter? Did it change anything in preparation?
– There were no global changes, because the weight is still somewhere working. That is, the weight when you enter the ring is approximately the same, which is 76.2 kg, which is 72.6 kg. It depends more on how you will drive this weight. If you are racing at 72.6 kg, then you will wear a weight race suit three times. If you race in 76.2 kg, then you will wear a suit once. That is the meaning of it. I don’t want to lose strength, I don’t want to be pumped into special training, I don’t want to lose speed, I don’t want to lose my mobility. Basically, everything is the same.
“We understand that the judges treat Canelo better. Does this fact have any psychological effect on you? During your training camp, do you feel like you need to do a little more than him to win and get a decision in your favor?
– Just to think that I need to do something extra – no, I don’t think so. I think the judges will be professional in this fight, and everyone will start from the sports component. Pure strokes, or the number of strokes. There are such concepts as sympathy, a human moment when you are more supportive of someone. But I think it will be the last. I hope at least that the judges will have a great fight.
“Used wipes” Golovkin on Canelo fight judges
Did you watch the Canelo-Bivol fight? I know you understand what you need to do since you fought Canelo twice, but was there anything in that fight that you saw that you believe will help you?
I haven’t watched the whole fight. Yes, there were the best moments, cuts. I didn’t really understand in detail. Why didn’t you understand? It doesn’t even make sense to watch it. The only thing I didn’t like was how Canelo looked in general. Not what Bivol looked like. I certainly do not want to belittle his dignity, his victory. A well-deserved win, for sure. What Canelo looked like, what he did and didn’t do. That is, it was not his best form. I am sure that this will not happen in our fight. If we are again talking about the judges, the score that the judges show – 115-113, side by side – I think that this is unfair. Again, what factors are at play? Couldn’t believe Canelo could lose or something? This fight showed that Canelo is an ordinary athlete, and there is no such thing that he is invincible. I hope that the judges will look more reasonably at all this, at our fight, and judge it more adequately.
How personal is this fight for you and do you really dislike it?
Again, this is not personal for me. I don’t have that personal. When it’s personal, you compare yourself, you compare yourself with your opponent, you fight who is the best among you. You want to prove yourself first. No, I don’t have it. It’s just another fight. Yes, let’s say, with a bright boxer, with a big name, which, in principle, makes me happy. How about talking personal? No, it is not so interesting that the fight was personal. For me it’s just business, for me it’s just boxing. Another fight is what I’m doing now. Getting personal is too much. For me, it’s not worth it to get personal. Since he has been behaving in the last 4 years … That is, I do not want to sink to this level with him, that is, to equate myself with him.
— I respect how you behave and don’t get involved in trash talk. I always enjoy you at the press conference and at the weigh-ins.
– Thanks for the compliment. As for me, if you cannot correspond to the level where you can talk about boxing, about your opponent without swearing, without swearing, without insults … That is, at this level. If you can’t meet this level, you help with these dirty words, try to insult, say some things … There is a saying – a bee cannot explain to a fly that honey is better than shit. There is no point in this. You don’t have to go down there.
— [смех и большой палец вверх] I think that in any language it will be translated quite correctly and clearly. I want to ask you, Gennady, are there any doping tests in this camp: VADA or other agencies?
— Yes, they certainly do. I will speak for myself, I do not know how in his case. I have every fight. I have already lost count of how many times during this time they took all the tests from me. And it’s constant. That is, before every fight I have this.
“I’m curious to know if you have a relationship with Bivol at all?” If so, have you talked to him?
– Talk about relationships? We don’t have a relationship. I will say that we are familiar. I remember we called up his manager. And the manager was with Dmitry. And he reminded him that we had known each other, probably in 1997. It was in his homeland, in Kyrgyzstan, that there was one of the tournaments where we met Dmitry. That is, like, we know each other, but we didn’t have such a direct contact. That is, we do not call [улыбается]. I think after our fights… I think he is now moving to the States with his family. That is, we will find common ground.
- Canelo Alvarez reveals how Bivolu’s defeat affected him
