The pair fought back on Sept. 16, 2017 in a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout was the third-largest boxing gate in history—raking in $27,059,850.
Despite the pre-fight hype and an action-packed bout, the match ended in a draw, leading to an outcry of criticism regarding a judge’s scorecard.
Judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 115-113 with Golovkin coming out on top, and judge Don Trella scored it 114-114. But the controversy came when Adalaide Byrd scored it 118-110 in favor of Alvarez and was universally criticized for doing so, according to ESPN.
Alvarez plans on flooring Golovkin to dispel any previous rumors about who actually won the fight. “This second fight is for the benefit and pleasure of all fans who desire to see the best fight the best,” he said. “This time, Golovkin won’t have any excuses regarding the judges because I’m coming to knock him out.”
For a man who has 34 knockouts in his 49 victories, it would be wise to assume his word is bond.
This match will also truly determine who’s the undisputed middleweight champ. Alvarez vacated his WBC middleweight belt on a technicality in May 2016, and it was given to Golovkin immediately after. Golovkin, a Kazakhstan native, currently holds the IFB, IBO, WBA, and WBC middleweight belts.
This upcoming fight will also have the benefit of not being dwarfed by the McGregor-Mayweather bout that took over the media weeks before the pair’s first match.
An official venue has not been set for the match, but T-Mobile Arena, Madison Square Garden, and AT&T Stadium are all considered serious contenders to land the fight.
