LOS ANGELES — Following Tuesday’s big press conference and fan event, we’re now steaming headlong toward the second boxing match pitting Canelo Alvarez against Gennady Golovkin. The first match ended in a controversial draw, and judge Adelaide Byrd’s scoring the fight 118-110 in favor of Alvarez is likely to go down in infamy — if it hasn’t already.
We were able to get some time with Golden Boy Promotions honcho and legendary boxer Oscar De La Hoya at a joint fête between Golden Boy and Hennessy, celebrating Alvarez on Monday night. We asked him for his thoughts on the first bout, and he didn’t shy away from the elephant in the room.
“I thought the scoring controversy from Adalaide Byrd was terrible,” De La Hoya began. “She should not even be allowed in the arena for the second time around. I mean it was bad. I feel that it was innocent, she has a lot of experience. Adalaide Byrd is a wonderful lady, I love her to death, but she was just wrong that night. She made a mistake and maybe she saw something different, maybe she was scoring ring generalship, she was scoring maybe the missing of the punches from Golovkin.
“There’s a lot to it,” he continued. “118-110 was a little off, but it shouldn’t take away from the fact that it was a great fight. A great fight! We haven’t seen one of those fights in such a long time.”
So who did De La Hoya think actually won that first fight? Perhaps not surprisingly, he thinks his boy Alvarez had it all the way. “I had Canelo, seven [rounds to] five [rounds],” he answered immediately. “Where one round could’ve gone either way, or a tie. That’s why we had a draw. I think that Canelo took the first three four rounds. Golovkin came on strong, and then Canelo finished the fight, closed it off. He closed the show.
“Therefore, obviously, we’re here announcing the second one, which I believe is gonna end in knockout. I believe both guys have so much pressure from the fans, from the public, to close the show and to obviously, leave no doubt and deliver a knockout.” He nodded to emphasize his point. De La Hoya believes we’ll see another classic, but is confident both men will be looking to finish, and the fans will get one.
He also thinks Alvarez will be switching up his strategy, while GGG will stick to what has always worked for him. “I think Golovkin is a fighter who doesn’t know any other way but to go forward and try to knock you out, so I don’t think he’ll adjust,” said De La Hoya.
“Canelo’s a fighter who’s young, he’s still learning, he’s still growing. I believe he’s gonna make the adjustments necessary to try and knock out Golovkin. Is he gonna come straight forward, in-your-face reckless? I don’t think so, I think he’s gonna come in calculated, moving side to side, but going forward, and try and knock him out so it’s gonna be a great fight.”
We’ll have to wait until May 5 in Las Vegas to see if any of De La Hoya’s predictions will end up being accurate.
