On Sept. 16, 2017, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin met in a highly anticipated showdown between two of the best fighters in the world, regardless of weight class.
The fight took place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, in front of a soldout crowd of 22,358 fans that achieved the third-highest gate in boxing history, surpassing Alvarez's fight with Floyd Mayweather. It also drew 1.3 million domestic PPV buys as the boxing world waited to see a clash between the indestructible force of Golovkin and the boxing brilliance of Alvarez. Golovkin entered the fight as the unified WBA (Super), WBC and IBF champ while Alvarez was recognized as The Ring middleweight title holder.
To that point in his career, Golovkin was widely recognized as a top-three pound-for-pound fighter in the world, with a pristine record of 37-0 with 33 wins coming by way of knockout. Alvarez was equally as brilliant with a record of 49-1-1 (34 KOs) and his only loss coming at the hands of all-time great Floyd Mayweather. It was a true 50-50 fight between two of the best in the world that fans had been anticipating for quite some time.
The fight lived up to the hype and was both an entertaining battle and incredibly close. However, fans were left unsatisfied with a split draw. Judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 115-113 for Golovkin while Don Trella saw it even at 114-114. The third judge, Adalaide Byrd, had a scorecard in favor of Alvarez by an inexpliecably wide margin of 118-110 (or, 10 rounds to 2).
The split draw led to a rematch one year later, when Alvarez squeezed out a hotly contested decision.
But who really won their first meeting? That's the question we're out to answer.
DAZN News appointed its own judges with Andreas Hale, Mark Lelinwalla and Steven Muehlhausen rewatching the fight in real time and offering their own scorecards to compare to what the ringside judges had. DAZN News judges also offered a round-by-round analysis of what they perceived to be taking place inside the ring to give context around their respective scorecards.
Round 1
Hale: A feeling-out round that GGG controlled by being the aggressor. Canelo sought to counter and picked up the pace late in the round, but Golovkin coming forward and popping the jab earned him the first frame.
Lelinwalla: Golovkin was stalking Canelo on the front foot, trying to assert the jab and even letting loose on a few combinations as the aggressor. Golovkin forward-fighting here. Canelo unleashed back-to-back combinations that just missed. Ditto for a counterpunch right uppercut that would have done damage had it landed.
Muehlhausen: Both guys tried to establish the jab from the outset. Alvarez was more active, showed good footwork, and landed the harder shots while Golovkin was trying to get his feet wet.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9
- Muehlhausen: Canelo 10-9
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9
- Moretti: Canelo 10-9
- Trella: Canelo 10-9
Round 2
Hale: A more aggressive Canelo let his hands go and found success with well placed counterpunching and body shots. Putting GGG on his back foot was also key. Still, GGG landed with the jab. Not enough to take the round.
Lelinwalla: Canelo detonated a left-right combination that Golovkin nodded off, which almost certainly means that it caught GGG’s attention. Seconds later, Canelo deposited a straight left hand into GGG’s midsection, with a stinging right that followed moments later. Canelo added a right uppercut counter to the body during the waning seconds.
Muehlhausen: Could see Alvarez getting into a rhythm. He was using the jab to set up the patented left hook to the body. Golovkin was going headhunting; he needs to be using combinations to set up those shots. The look Alvarez gave Golovkin when the horn sounded was one of those where he's saying, "I got you figured out."
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: Canelo 10-9 (19-19)
- Lelinwalla: Canelo 10-9 (19-19)
- Muehlhausen: Canelo 10-9 (20-18 Canelo)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (20-18 Canelo)
- Moretti: Canelo 10-9 (20-18 Canelo)
- Trella: Canelo 10-9 (20-18 Canelo)
Round 3
Hale: A very close round that saw GGG start off fast by putting the right hand behind his effective jab, but Canelo came on strong late with body shots, making GGG miss and countering. GGG’s pressure barely earns him the round, but it’s a toss up.
Lelinwalla: GGG went back to that left jab, with Canelo countering to the body. Canelo quickly went to the body with his left, before launching a right hook that grazed Golovkin. Uppercut landed for Canelo. GGG brushed Canelo back with some hard right hands. GGG ended the round strongly, but Canelo took it. These rounds are very close.
Muehlhausen: As soon I say that from the previous round, Alvarez's footwork got a bit sloppy, and Golovkin started to get into a rhythm. He was stalking Alvarez and throwing combinations. You could see some of those affected Alvarez as he wasn't as willing to engage in the pocket.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9 (29-28 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: Canelo 10-9 (29-28 Canelo)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (29-28 Canelo)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (30-27 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (29-28 Canelo)
- Trella: GGG 10-9 (29-28 Canelo)
Round 4
Hale: Canelo has been brilliant defensively thus far. However, he spent a great deal of time trying to bait GGG with his back on the ropes and allowed his opponent to dictate much of the action. Not nearly enough output by Canelo to take yet another closely contested round.
Lelinwalla: Golovkin was moving forward and landed a combination early on. Golovkin had Alvarez up against the ropes, landing some shots, missing others, with the Mexican fighter looking for his opportunity to counter. Canelo was up against the ropes, egging GGG on. Golovkin responded with volume — again some punches landing, some missing their mark. But he was more active.
Muehlhausen: The best round of the fight up to this point for Golovkin. The best recipe against Alvarez is to get him to the ropes and go to work. I like how he stayed composed and threw where he found openings instead of throwing for the sake of it and getting countered by Alvarez.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9 (39-37 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9 (38-38)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (38-38)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: GGG 10-9 (39-37 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (38-38)
- Trella: GGG 10-9 (38-38)
Round 5
Hale: GGG landed a huge right hand that was the biggest of the fight thus far. It was another round where Canelo kept his back along the ropes for extended periods of time without firing much of anything back in response. This was the first clear GGG round.
Lelinwalla: Canelo with a right-left combo that Golovkin absorbed, walked through and threw a flurry in response with the Mexican fighter up against the ropes. Canelo dug a crunching left hook into GGG’s body moments later. Both fighters exchanged stinging right hands, before Golovkin launched a big right hook that caught Canelo flush across the jaw. Canelo shook it off, but he felt that. Best punch of the fight thus far.
Muehlhausen: Golovkin is dictating where everything is going. If he wants to get Alvarez to the ropes and keep him there, he can. If Alvarez tries to shift to the middle of the ring, Golovkin's right there and in his face. Golovkin landed a couple of hard-left hands that Alvarez shook off, which is a sign he was a bit stunned. I can see Alvarez slowing down slightly. The tide has shifted toward Golovkin.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9 (49-46 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9 (48-47 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (48-47 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (49-46 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (48-47 GGG)
- Trella: GGG 10-9 (48-47 GGG)
Round 6
Hale: A theme has been established in the fight. Whenever Canelo takes the center of the ring, his hand speed and upper body movement gives him an advantage. However, his strategy has been to put his back against the ropes and look to explode. GGG cranked up the pressure late in the round and landed the jab along with several lead right hands, and that gave him the edge.
Lelinwalla: Golovkin had Canelo on the ropes. He kept cutting off the ring on Canelo, who was looking for a razor-sharp counter, but wasn't keeping up with GGG’s volume.
Muehlhausen: Golovkin is getting rounds in the bank. He's finally listening to head trainer Abel Sanchez and ripping the body and then going upstairs. Alvarez's best success has been in the middle of the ring. He's not doing it enough to score points. He needs to alter his strategy and in a hurry. Things are starting to slip away for the Mexican star.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9 (59-55 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9 (58-56 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (58-56 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (59-55 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (58-56 GGG)
- Trella: GGG 10-9 (58-56 GGG)
Round 7
Hale: It was a close round, but GGG’s jab was a huge difference-maker. Canelo’s unwillingness to engage and allowing GGG to press the action shouldn’t be rewarded by the judges. Canelo is facing an uphill battle if he continues to let his opponent dictate the pace.
Lelinwalla: A firefight briefly ensued, with GGG landing a hard right hand and a jab at the end of it. He was still walking Canelo down around the ring. Canelo moved around the ring, but got caught up against the ropes again, where GGG landed a couple of shots. Golovkin was pretty much giving chase to Canelo at this point, as he relentlessly crowded Alvarez’s space and threw punches in bunches.
Muehlhausen: What Golovkin is doing is a thing of beauty. He's combining his power and technical prowess to confuse Alvarez, who keeps taking deep breaths. Alvarez is winging shots instead of sitting on them. All Golovkin right now.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9 (69-64 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9 (68-65 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (68-65 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: GGG 10-9 (68-65 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (68-65 GGG)
- Trella: Canelo 10-9 (67-66 GGG)
Round 8
Hale: There has yet to be a clear Canelo round in this fight. Canelo landed a great uppercut and countered well enough to sneak out the round. But it could easily be in favor of GGG due to the pressure and the continued success of the jab.
Lelinwalla: Canelo brought the fight to the center of the ring, where he’s more comfortable. He landed a chopping right hand on GGG early. But Golovkin snapped Canelo's head back with a stinging left jab seconds later. GGG was more than willing to stand straight up in close quarters with Canelo and trade fire.
Muehlhausen: You could see the confidence in Golovkin growing second by second. The jab was crisp. He has been applying constant pressure and now is the one landing the harder shots. It's time for Canelo to get it together because he doesn't have much time left.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: Canelo 10-9 (78-74 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9 (78-74 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (78-74 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (78-74 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (78-74 GGG)
- Trella: GGG 10-9 (77-75 GGG)
Round 9
Hale: Canelo started off fast, but GGG covered up and then began to press forward. Canelo landed a huge right hand, the most effective shot from his side the entire fight. The problem continues to be that Canelo takes his foot off the gas and allows GGG to close the distance. Canelo is tiring but barely squeezes out another close round.
Lelinwalla: Canelo came out quickly and threw plenty of punches in the center of the ring. GGG came back with a strong uppercut and added a right hook seconds later. Canelo returned fire with a hook of his own. The two were forehead to forehead before Alvarez unleashed a quick combo. Golovkin kept smothering Canelo, giving him no breathing room. A big right hand from Canelo drove GGG’s head back. But Golovkin still pressed forward with punches and plenty of pressure.
Muehlhausen: This is so puzzling because Alvarez begins every round being the aggressor, and then after about 45-60 seconds, Golovkin takes over. Each snapped the other's head back with a right hand. Alvarez connected on a nice combination in the last 20 seconds to give himself some momentum heading into the 10th round.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: Canelo 10-9 (87-84 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: GGG 10-9 (88-83 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (88-83 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (88-83 Canelo)
- Moretti: GGG 10-9 (88-83 GGG)
- Trella: GGG 10-9 (87-84 GGG)
Round 10
Hale: Another fast and sustained attack from Canelo to open the round. But, like every other round, Canelo didn't close the round nearly as strong and allowed GGG to control the final two minutes with the pinpoint jab and pressured assault.
Lelinwalla: Golovkin landed some hard shots and tried to walk down Canelo, but Alvarez landed a hard left of his own. Plenty of fire from both, but Canelo took this one.
Muehlhausen: The most exciting round of the fight. Alvarez came out like a man who knows he has to pick it up. He came out and showed that much-needed urgency with blistering combinations, landing a straight right hand to rock Golovkin. Alvarez looked exhausted heading into the final minute, but found another gear in the final minute of the round and hit Golovkin with a couple of hard right hands. He's back in the fight. Let's see if he can continue the momentum.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: GGG 10-9 (97-93 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: Canelo 10-9 (97-93 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: Canelo 10-9 (97-93 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (98-92 Canelo)
- Moretti: Canelo 10-9 (97-93 GGG)
- Trella: Canelo 10-9 (96-94 GGG)
Round 11
Hale: A flip on the first 10 rounds where GGG started strong but it was Canelo who found the burst of energy in the middle of the round. A few hard right hands landed clean. GGG landed a very hard right hand and uppercut, but Canelo’s activity squeezed out yet another round that was too close to call.
Lelinwalla: Canelo with a right hand that landed. He assessed and landed another right for good measure. Right hand by Golovkin landed, as he gave chase to Canelo. Relentless pressure from GGG, but Canelo had just enough counter punching and offense to take the round.
Muehlhausen: The hardest round to score so far because both guys had their moments of excellence in landing hard power shots. It was surprising that Alvarez didn't come out with more aggression knowing where things stand. Golovkin has done a great job of cutting the ring off and not letting Alvarez reset in the middle. He's keeping things where he wants them and forcing Alvarez to fight off the back foot. Alvarez needs a stoppage to win.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: Canelo 10-9 (106-103 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: Canelo 10-9 (106-103 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: GGG 10-9 (107-102 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (108-101 Canelo)
- Moretti: Canelo 10-9 (106-103 GGG)
- Trella: Canelo 10-9 (105-104 GGG)
Round 12
Hale: Canelo started the round like a fighter desperate to win and landed some hard shots in the first minute. Canelo put together punches extremely well, but GGG refused to back up and plowed forward. But this is the first round that Canelo has clearly won.
Lelinwalla: Canelo landed a right and then dug into the body with a pounding uppercut moments later. But again, GGG applied pressure, cutting off the ring. Canelo finally brought the action to the middle of the ring and pounded the body, to which GGG nodded off. That’s it.
Muehlhausen: Where was this Canelo Alvarez in the previous round? He came out, established the middle of the ring, and blistered Golovkin with body shots, punches to the heads and combinations. Too little, too late, though.
DAZN News Judges
- Hale: Canelo 10-9 (115-113 GGG)
- Lelinwalla: Canelo 10-9 (115-113 GGG)
- Muehlhausen: Canelo 10-9 (116-112 GGG)
Ringside Judges
- Byrd: Canelo 10-9 (118-110 Canelo)
- Moretti: Canelo 10-9 (115-113 GGG)
- Trella: Canelo 10-9 (114-114)
Canelo-GGG 1 scoring analysis
All three of the DAZN judges favored Golovkin along with ringside judge Dave Moretti, while judge Don Trella saw it even. It's hard to explain the rationale behind Byrd's wide scorecard in favor of Canelo. According to Byrd, Golovkin only won the fourth and seventh rounds. While many of these rounds were nip and tuck throughout, the common theme for every judge outside of Byrd is that Golovkin controlled much of the fight in rounds 3-9. But it was also an obvious assessment that Canelo closed strong with the 10th, 11th and 12th rounds.
Both the ringside judges and DAZN News judges unanimously scored the final round for Canelo, along with the second round, while Golovkin unanimously took the fourth round. However, if Byrd is removed from the equation, Golovkin unanimously took the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. No matter how many ways you slice it, the fight was close. But it appears that there were more clear rounds for Golovkin than there were for Canelo.
A constant theme was Canelo started most rounds quickly but was thwarted by Golovkin's methodical approach, which was fueled by applying pressure with a stiff jab and coming forward. Golovkin proved to be the busier of the two fighters, landing 218 of 703 punches while Canelo came up short by landing 169 of 505 punches. Although it's difficult to use CompuBox to score individual rounds, many of the rounds found Golovkin throwing and landing more punches than Canelo.
According to the DAZN News panel and judge Dave Moretti, this should have been a fight that Golovkin won. A split draw result might have been controversial, but there's no doubt that the fight was close. The only real robbery came courtesy of Byrd's ridiculous scorecard.