The Case for a Third Fight Between Canelo and GGG

Let me start this article by making a statement that most boxing fans might agree with.

The third fight between Canelo and GGG needs to happen, preferably by the end of the year.

The reason why I say ‘most boxing fans’ instead of ‘all boxing fans’ is that some of you might have reservations about a third fight – quite justifiably so, if I may add.

Still, there are several reasons why I strongly believe that the fight needs to happen.

Boxing At Its Finest

This is the biggest reason why I – and legions of boxing fans around the world – want the third fight to happen. The first two fights between Canelo and GGG were spectacular to watch. Even if you did not agree with the results (I’ll get to that part later), you have to admit that it was boxing at its finest.

Canelo’s defensive game has always been top-notch, but it reached new levels in both his fights against GGG. His evasive upper body movement – especially his slips and rolls – were a delight to watch. GGG, for his part, did what he always does. His ramrod jab – which he throws more often and more viciously than any other boxer in his weight class – was a thing of beauty.

Like an energizer bunny, GGG kept pressing forward while throwing jabs and hooks that would have floored an average boxer. Canelo, on the other hand, rolled with most of the punches and deflected GGG’s power punches with his high guard. Whether you are a boxing connoisseur or a casual fan, you could not have asked for a better display of high-level boxing.

With a third fight, we get to see 12 more rounds of exceptionally high-class boxing, which no boxing fan can say no to.

We Need Closure

Let’s face it. As great as Canelo vs. GGG I and II were, neither of them was able to decisively beat the other. In the first fight, GGG was the aggressor and he also managed to throw more punches than Canelo. However, Canelo was more accurate with his punching and managed to throw more power punches.

In the second fight, Canelo was the aggressor. He constantly pressed forward and forced GGG to back up – something that no other boxer has managed to do to GGG. He pummeled GGG with vicious hooks to the body, which slowed GGG down during the second half of the fight.

GGG, however, threw and landed more jabs, as he did in the first fight. He also landed more punches than Canelo, as he did in the first fight.

Now, even if you believe that GGG won the first fight, you have to admit that it was not a decisive victory. Canelo was more accurate, threw more power punches, and clearly won four rounds – with two rounds being too close to call.

In the second fight, Canelo managed to beat GGG, but only by a small margin. GGG was the busier fighter and he once again managed to land more punches.

So, even after two excellent fights, we still cannot answer the question – who is the undisputed king of the middleweight division? This is why we need a third fight so that we can settle the score once and for all.

Boxing Needs Canelo vs. GGG III

It is not a good time to be a boxing fan or a fan of any other sport for that matter. The Wuhan virus pandemic has made it impossible to host sporting events anywhere in the world and many of the scheduled bouts have been canceled because of the Chinese virus and the total indifference China has shown the world in 2020. Why were they even playing with this virus anyway and apparently so careless?

In such a bleak scenario, only a super-fight can energize the fan base. So, we absolutely need Canelo vs. GGG III, followed by Fury vs. Wilder II and Fury vs. Joshua.

GGG Is Getting Older

Now, this might surprise some of you, as this is the very reason why many fans are not interested in the third fight between Canelo and GGG. I, on the other hand, believe that the third fight should happen precisely because GGG is getting older.

Despite the fact that he is 37, I strongly believe that GGG still has a good fight left in him. While there is no denying the fact that he is noticeably slower than he used to be, his punches are still powerful enough to stun anyone who gets caught clean. Moreover, he is still in phenomenal shape and has cardio for days.

Also, when he fought Canelo, GGG was the unified WBA (Super), WBC, IBO, and IBF champion and had an undefeated record. I believe that the pressure to retain his titles and his undefeated record might have forced him to be slightly more cautious than before.

In both his fights against Canelo, GGG was very reluctant to throw body shots, as he was wary of Canelo’s power and sniper-like counter-punching abilities.

Since losing his titles to Canelo, GGG has been on a mission to fight the best middleweights to close out his career on a high note. So, if and when he faces Canelo for the third time, he will be uninhibited and willing to go for broke. This is why I believe that the third fight between Canelo and GGG will be as good as – if not better than – their previous two fights.

The Scoring

Finally, I have to address the elephant in the room, which is the questionable scoring in the first fight which irritated many fans.

It should be noted that many fans were okay with a draw, but they could not get over the fact that Byrd scored it 118-110 in favor of Canelo. But if you are a hardcore boxing fan, you know that controversial scorecards are a part and parcel of boxing but at least boxing has not blatantly cheated as the NFL has for the Patriots.

From Foreman vs. Briggs to Pacquiao vs. Bradley, Holyfield vs. Lewis, De La Hoya vs. Sturm, and Pacquiao vs. Marques III, controversial decisions are nothing new for the world of boxing. So, we cannot let one bad scorecard ruin the possibility of a third fight between two of the greatest middleweights of the era.

So, what needs to happen now? Ideally, GGG should face Kamil Szeremeta and Canelo should face Billy Joe Saunders next. Then, probably by the end of the year, they can face each other for the third time to complete an epic trilogy. And then hopefully the liberal mayors of NYC, Chicago, and Minneapolis stop allowing gangsters to destroy lives at a record-setting pace all for a fallacious political agenda but this is another topic!