RJ exclusive: GGG chides Canelo Alvarez amid rematch prep

If the scoring in his first two fights against Canelo Alvarez still bothers Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, he doesn’t show it. Not on Monday morning anyway during a teleconference call from camp in Big Bear, California.

The tiny mountain town has long been the unified middleweight champion’s preferred training grounds and he seems loose and limber as he readies for his third fight against Alvarez on Sept. 17 at T-Mobile Arena. It’s Golovkin’s first fight at 168 pounds. Perhaps his last one, too.

Ever.

In any weight class.

“I don’t know,” Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 knockouts) says through a translator, capping a conversation with the Review-Journal. “Time will tell.”

Time has also managed to renew the rivalry between the 40-year-old Kazakhstani and his 32-year-old Mexican counterpart, now the undisputed super middleweight champion. A victory over Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs), the favorite at -400, would be his crowning achievement — and an ideal sendoff for one of the greatest middleweights of the modern era.

Never mind that Golovkin landed 218 punches to Alvarez’s 169 in their first fight at T-Mobile Arena, stats that embellish the absurdity of the 118-110 scorecard that would lead to a split draw still clouded in controversy. Never mind that he had a 234-202 connection edge in a close rematch awarded to Alvarez that Golovkin’s supporters still swear that he won.

“A lot of time has passed. We are different fighters now,” Golovkin calmly affirmed. “It’s the right approach to move on. Not to look back at the previous two fights and train with this idea that is a separate fight.”

Questions and answers have been edited for length and clarity.

RJ: What’s different about preparing for your first fight at 168 pounds?

Golovkin: It’s hard to say because this is my first time. I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy fight. My opponent is a champion, he has four belts, and he’s arguably the best fighter at that weight class. I’m jumping to the weight class for the first time and I’m fighting the best fighter in that class.

RJ: Think you may have feel better at 168 than you do at 160?

Golovkin: Most likely. Most likely I’ll feel fresh in that weight category. I think I’ll be ready for the physical standpoint. I think I’ll feel more comfortable in that weight class. On the other hand, I should say I feel extremely comfortable in my class. At 160.

RJ: You mentioned you guys are different fighters now. In what ways do you feel most like a different fighter now in 2022?

Golovkin: Primarily it’s the age, of course. Let’s try not to trick anyone. Let’s be honest. When you’re over 40, when you’re passed 40, you feel different and you look different compared to 35 or 36.

RJ: How has your training changed as you’ve adapted with age?

Golokvin: I have a new coach and we have a new approach to the training process. Those four years were not easy years. … It’s like four years, four seasons. You take team sports like football, basketball. See how much those sports have changed in four seasons. Especially here, when you’re in the late stage of your career. I think it’s difficult for me to go into particular details. I should say a lot. A lot has changed for me since.

RJ: As it pertains to Alvarez, were you surprised to see him lose to Dmitry Bivol and perform the way he did?

Golokvin: Not that I was surprised, but I should say that I expected more. I expected more in terms of him taking it more seriously, but his attitude showed that he has somewhat lost touch with the reality. He has not processed it in the right way. I wouldn’t say that I was disappointed, but I should say that it said a lot about him. The way behaved after the result was announced and Dmitry’s arm was raised. The way he reacted, the words that he said in the post-fight interview just showed that he’s lost with reality. It says a lot about him.

RJ: With that said, how fulfilling, especially after the way the first two fights ended, would a victory over Alvarez be at this stage of your career?

Golovkin: It would be the biggest win in my career. It would be the best thing that happened. That would be very fulfilling.

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on Twitter.