Following the back-to-back main event wins on consecutive days by Gennadiy Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez, boxing fans have wondered if the next step for both is to finally deliver a third and final chapter in their closely-contested series.
Their first fight in 2017 was ruled a split draw, though many believe Golovkin did more than enough to win. Alvarez then took a slender majority decision in the rematch one year later, in September 2018.
That victory appears to put the ball in the court of Alvarez, who now competes at super middleweight. Earlier this month, Alvarez captured the WBA (super), WBC, and The Ring titles with a dominant unanimous decision win over the previously-unbeaten Callum Smith. In an interview with Boxing Scene, his trainer Eddy Reynoso refused to rule out a trilogy with Triple G, but said it is the Kazakh fighter who must come to them to make it happen.
“Saul Alvarez is going to fight at 168 pounds moving forward,” Reynoso said. "We’re not doing any favors to Golovkin or anybody else in coming down in weight to 160 pounds. Anybody can follow us to super middleweight, we’ll be waiting for them there. Golovkin has been fighting lower-level fighters lately. Canelo has been fighting the very best. We’re the A-side now. We’ll see what comes out of negotiations. We’re waiting on offers. We don’t have anything secured yet. We’re open to a fight with Golovkin at 168 pounds.”
Golovkin made a record 21st middleweight title defense 24 hours prior to Canelo vs. Smith when he claimed the "0" of Poland's Kamil Szeremeta with a seventh-round stoppage finish.
However, while a super middleweight move isn't a giant leap and is something the 38-year-old has considered in the past for super fights. It would nonetheless be unchartered territory for a fighter who will be 39 years old when the lucrative Cinco de Mayo fight weekend rolls around in May.
Alvarez has also been linked with a speedy turnaround of three fights in the space of six months, which could theoretically include a title defense against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in Canelo's hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, followed by a title unification clash with WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders.
Golovkin, meanwhile, does not have a particularly obvious next opponent in the event that he does not move up to battle his rival once again.