Canelo Alvarez calls out Golovkin: ‘I don’t fear anyone’

MANILA, Philippines – After knocking out Amir Khan in the sixth round with one punch on Sunday, May 8 (Manila time), Saul “Canelo” Alvarez took the microphone to call out unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin for a showdown later this year.

Golovkin, who holds the IBF and WBA middleweight belts, plus the interim WBC title, was at ringside of the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada to witness Alvarez’s first WBC middleweight title defense first-hand.

Struggling to keep up with Khan’s speed in the first few founds, Alvarez found a way to turn things around by delivering a brutal right hand to drop Khan to the canvas, where referee Kenny Bayless counted him out at 2:37 of the sixth round.

As Alvarez attended to an unconscious Khan who was lying on the floor, the 25-year-old Mexican gestured to Golovkin to join him in the ring for a fight.

“I invited him to come to the ring. Like we say in Mexico, we don’t f— around. I don’t fear anyone. We don’t come to play in this sport. I fear no one in this sport. Right now, I will put on the gloves again and fight him,” Alvarez said in the post-fight interview.

According to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, Alvarez could get stripped of the belt if he does not face Golovkin after his promoter Oscar De La Hoya signed a waiver to push the mandatory bout back and allow the Mexican slugger to square off with a different opponent.

On numerous occasions, Alvarez cited concerns over fighting Golovkin at 160 pounds after fighting 5-straight times at a 155-pound catchweight.

Many accused Alvarez and De La Hoya of dodging Golovkin, but it appeared that they are changing their tune.

When Alvarez forcefully challenged Golovkin, De La Hoya was grinning behind him as the boxer claimed he was not afraid of the Kazakh knockout artist.

“You better answer your phone tomorrow morning,” De La Hoya said to Golovkin during the post-fight press conference. “It is the fight you all want to see, right.” – Rappler.com