Who is Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Álvarez’s opponent on September 17?

• A major fight is scheduled for September 17 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin will meet for the third time.
• So far, the Mexican fighter is favored, with a record of one win and one draw.

Who is Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Álvarez’s opponent in the ring? In what promises to be a fight that will be remembered by boxing fans for many years to come, Saúl Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin will meet on September 17. This is the third fight between the two. The first was a draw and in the second the Mexican won by majority decision.

Surely, for people who don’t follow this fascinating sport, the name of the man born in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, on April 8, 1982 — making him 40 years old — does not sound very familiar, but it lingers in the minds of all those who are at least a little aware of 32-year-old Canelo’s career.

Gennady Golovkin is considered one of the best boxers in history

According to El Financiero, Kazakh Guennadi Guennadievich Golovkin is considered one of the best middleweight boxers in the history of this sport, so it will not be easy for Canelo to defeat his opponent for the second time in this long-awaited match.

Golovkin began his adventure in the world of boxing when he was just an 8-year-old boy. His father was a Russian miner and his Korean mother worked as an assistant in a chemical laboratory. GGG (as he is also known) obtained a scholarship for the Olympic Solidarity program in 2002. Years before, a family tragedy marked his life forever.

GGG’s brothers died in the war

Few know that Gennady Golovkin entered the world of boxing after his two older brothers encouraged him to do so. Years later, both brothers, Sergey and Vadim, enlisted in the army and tragically, they died on the battlefront. This fact marked Canelo’s next opponent forever.

Some time later, GGG’s preparation, discipline, effort and talent began to shine and he won the World Amateur Boxing Championship in 2003 and a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. At 22 years of age, he had the world at his feet and the best was yet to come.

Gennady Golovkin won his first title in 2010

After moving to Germany to become a professional boxer and signing an attractive contract, Gennady Golovkin’s life began to change. As if it were an twist of fate, it was when he began training with a Mexican, Abel Sánchez, that he obtained his first World Boxing Association title.

It should be noted that Saúl Canelo Álvarez is the only boxer that GGG has not been able to defeat, so the fight on September 17 will probably be his last chance to do so. Such was the level shown in both fights that boxing fans were eager for a third (and last?) match.

Gennady Golovkin responds to Canelo’s attacks

Boxing fans know that in the days, or even weeks, leading up to a fight, smack talking between boxers is on. Although while some get hooked, others prefer to settle things in the ring. Contrary to his custom, Canelo Álvarez has unleashed on Gennady Golovkin, who responded like this:

“It’s just business, just boxing. I see no reason to go into personal details, it’s not worth it. The way he has behaved (referring to the Mexican boxer) for the last four years, I don’t want to do what  he does. If you can’t talk about boxing and communicate with your opponent without insulting them, without using obscenities or talking trash while saying obscene words, it’s not worth communicating with that opponent,» GGG said.