BoxRec

A boxing insider who was present at the Big Bear (CA) gym on the day when Gennady Golovkin and Canelo Alvarez sparred has shared his account of what happened: “Golovkin hurt Canelo twice – first liver and then head. Canelo came out strong trying to hurt him right away. Then Golovkin got him with a nice liver shot and then a few head shots that made Canelo spar a lot more gently. It was awkward in the room. It was Golovkin’s first real sparring in America. He was just here from Germany. I think Canelo (then age 21) was just getting ready for Afonso Gomez in Los Angeles (TKO 6 in September 2011).”

Here’s what I recall from the six-round session I witnessed in Big Bear, Calif. (which I wrote about in a Gym Notes column): Alvarez was preparing for his first title defense against Ryan Rhodes and Golovkin, who I’d never seen in person, was getting ready for Kassim Ouma. Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, wanted his middleweight to get some work with Canelo in order to experience the faster hands of a naturally smaller fighter. Golovkin was not supposed to give Canelo the “full treatment,” and it was clear from the sparring I saw that he was indeed holding back.

Still, Golovkin “holding back” was a lot for Canelo, only 20 at the time, to deal with. And the young man did well. I’d say he held his own, even though he couldn’t hurt Golvokin with his best shots. What Alvarez showed me in those 4-minute rounds at 6,000-plus-feet altitude was that the Mexican star was willing to put in very hard work in order to learn his craft and to get in proper condition for his fights.

I was not impressed by what I saw of Alvarez during his WBC 154-pound title winning effort against Matthew Hatton three month earlier. He seemed one-dimensional in his approach and his power appeared overrated. I wasn’t even sure if he would get past Rhodes, who was an experienced junior middleweight contender with solid skills. But watching Alvarez work his jab and exhibit good footwork while moving about the ring during his sparring session with Golovkin let me know that the kid was more versatile than most of us had seen in his fights up to that point of his career.

Golovkin hurt Alvarez a few times – a hook at the end of the second round visibly stunned him and some body shots made him wince – but the young man kept his head and found ways to compete even when he was clearly tired (a combination of the altitude and GGG’s pressure) in the last two rounds.

ikorolev wrote:Here is Doug Fisher's recollection:
http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/1766 ... mailbag-99

Here’s what I recall from the six-round session I witnessed in Big Bear, Calif. (which I wrote about in a Gym Notes column): Alvarez was preparing for his first title defense against Ryan Rhodes and Golovkin, who I’d never seen in person, was getting ready for Kassim Ouma. Golovkin’s trainer, Abel Sanchez, wanted his middleweight to get some work with Canelo in order to experience the faster hands of a naturally smaller fighter. Golovkin was not supposed to give Canelo the “full treatment,” and it was clear from the sparring I saw that he was indeed holding back.

Still, Golovkin “holding back” was a lot for Canelo, only 20 at the time, to deal with. And the young man did well. I’d say he held his own, even though he couldn’t hurt Golvokin with his best shots. What Alvarez showed me in those 4-minute rounds at 6,000-plus-feet altitude was that the Mexican star was willing to put in very hard work in order to learn his craft and to get in proper condition for his fights.

I was not impressed by what I saw of Alvarez during his WBC 154-pound title winning effort against Matthew Hatton three month earlier. He seemed one-dimensional in his approach and his power appeared overrated. I wasn’t even sure if he would get past Rhodes, who was an experienced junior middleweight contender with solid skills. But watching Alvarez work his jab and exhibit good footwork while moving about the ring during his sparring session with Golovkin let me know that the kid was more versatile than most of us had seen in his fights up to that point of his career.

Golovkin hurt Alvarez a few times – a hook at the end of the second round visibly stunned him and some body shots made him wince – but the young man kept his head and found ways to compete even when he was clearly tired (a combination of the altitude and GGG’s pressure) in the last two rounds.

Lackeos wrote:A 21-year-old welterweight Alvarez supposedly lost a sparring session to a middleweight. Well that tells us all that we need to know. Assuming that you're an idiot and don't need to know anything.

Horse wrote:Screw sparring.

Kalan wrote:Anything can happen in sparring - including ATG fighters getting knocked out.. GGG will kill Canelo but a sparring session doesn't prove it.

A guy with only 4 amateur fights knocked out a pro with over 40 fights... also the same novice flattened a ranking Heavyweight in a public sparring session. If you're very big, tall, strong, powerful, and a very talented athlete, you could take a real good cut and it could connect on anybody... Light Heavyweight Champ Jose Torres boxed an exhibition with a sub novice and got knocked cold.. Some stupid writers from Ring Magazine were present.. They were laughing and thought Torres was faking getting knocked out.. One of them said "a cigarette will revive Jose" and shoved a smoke into his mouth and lit it.. The idiot burned Torres's lip.. That's when they knew he was really knocked out.

ikorolev wrote:

Lackeos wrote:A 21-year-old welterweight Alvarez supposedly lost a sparring session to a middleweight. Well that tells us all that we need to know. Assuming that you're an idiot and don't need to know anything.

Canelo hasn't fought at WW since March of 2010. He was no smaller than Golovkin when they sparred:

Lackeos wrote:

ikorolev wrote:

Lackeos wrote:A 21-year-old welterweight Alvarez supposedly lost a sparring session to a middleweight. Well that tells us all that we need to know. Assuming that you're an idiot and don't need to know anything.

Canelo hasn't fought at WW since March of 2010. He was no smaller than Golovkin when they sparred:

Back when Golovkin was 21, Anthony Mundine would've beat the piss out of him. That doesn't mean Anthony Mundine would continue being the better fighter for the entire rest of time. Most 21-year-old fighters improve after some time passes.
A lot of people thought Mayweather lost a sparring session to Paul Spadafora. That doesn't mean that Paul Spadafora was the better fighter then, and it doesn't mean that Spadafora would continue to be the better fighter for the remainder of their careers. Sparring sessions do not always predict the outcome in real matches.

If you don't understand these realities, then you still don't know anything about boxing. But these examples are precisely the reason why a sparring session with Alvarez when he was 21 has no bearing on who he would beat at age 25.

Like a Boss wrote:I always take sparring stories with a grain of salt.

gilgamesh wrote:None of this matters. Let's see 'em fight already.

crusader wrote:Canelo definitely could've cut the ring off better against Khan.

He's still somewhat of a plodder and against mobile opponents often ends up throwing shots from well out of range because he can't close the gap.