That’s all for now. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to check out Kevin Mitchell’s full report.
Bob Bennett, executive director of Nevada athletic commission, just addressed a scrum of media on press row. He said that he has full confidence in Adalaide Byrd moving forward, stressing her consistently good record in 442 bouts in more than 20 years.
“That’s the life of a judge,” Bennett said. “She had a bad night in a big fight. She saw the fight in a different way.”
He added: “When you’re a judge and you’re on the money, nobody says anything about it.”
The official scorecard
Here’s a look at the official scorecard from tonight’s fight. Hard to believe that Adalaide Byrd could only find two rounds to give Golovkin.
“My focus is on the belts and I am still the champion,” Golovkin says. “It’s not my fault, I put pressure on every round. Thanks to the people that support me.”
Here’s a look at the CompuBox punch stats for tonight’s bout.
Canelo says he wants a rematch. It was practically impossible to hear the fighters’ in-ring interviews, so deafening were the boos cascading down at T-Mobile Arena. But the Mexican fighter made his feelings clear.
“Yes, of course, obviously yes, if the people want it, yes,” Álvarez said through a translator. “He did’t win it was a draw. I always said I was going to be a step ahead of him.”
He added: “In the first rounds I came out to see what he had, then I was building from there. I think I won eight rounds.”
Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin have fought to a split draw!
Dave Moretti scored it 115-113 for Golovkin, Adalaide Byrd scored it 118-110 for Canelo (?!) and Don Trella had it 114-114.
Oh boy.
Updated
Round 12
Canelo probably feels he needs a knockout but it’s Golovkin who comes out guns blazing! An uppercut and a big left hand from the Kazakh. Canelo answers with a nice counter left. More good jabbing from Golovkin and now a big left hook. Canelo is returning fire but it’s Golovkin who’s landing the more significant punches. What a finishing kick by Triple G!
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 113-116 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 112-116 Golovkin)
Round 11
Canelo’s survival mode is in interesting one. He’s fighting in spots but over the last two rounds it’s nearly been enough. Golovkin lands a big right but Canelo answers with a left to the body. A double jab by Golovkin, who continues to stalk Canelo around the ring. Canelo lands a nice combo to the head, then a thudding left uppercut while fighting off the ropes. A big right hand by Golovkin. If the Kazakh goes on to win this fight, it will be the jab that made the difference. This was a bit of swing round that could have gone either way.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 104-106 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 103-106 Golovkin)
Updated
Round 10
Golovkin pressuring forward from the bell and Canelo connects with a huge counter uppercut. Then he follows it up with a combination. Massive shots, but the granite-chinned Golovkin takes them well. A three-punch jab by Golovkin, more body work. GGG somehow walked through those early shots and is now winning the round. Now they’re trading shots in the center of the ring, both giving as good as they’re getting. It’s the best round of the fight, two-way action nearly too close to call.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 94-97 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 93-97 Golovkin)
Updated
Round 9
Canelo lands a big combination early, then connects with a punishing left hook that wows the crowd. He’s worn down but in this fight still. Golovkin lands an overhead right that backs him up against the ropes and they’re fighting nose to nose. Golovkin has Canelo on the ropes and lands a left jab, but Canelo comes off and lands two sharp uppercuts to the body. A fine effort by Canelo to scratch his way back into the fight.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 85-87 Golovkin)
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Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 83-88 Golovkin)
Updated
Round 8
Golovkin lands a big right uppercut early in the round but it almost seems to awaken Canelo, who springs off the ropes and is now trading punches with the champion in the center of the ring. Canelo can’t keep up this pace for three full minutes, however, and he’s already slowed down. The speed advantage that was the key to his early success is all but gone. Canelo lands a big uppercut but Golovkin keeps walking forward. Some underrated body work by Canelo in that right could have swayed the judges, but it was a Golovkin round from our seats.
Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 75-77 Golovkin)
Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 74-78 Golovkin)
Round 7
Golovkin lands a combination early in the round. Canelo exerting a lot of energy just to escape Golovkin’s pace and pressure. Golovkin gets him on the ropes again and gets him with a left to the body and a hook to the head. Canelo in full retreat, landing a straight punch here and there but without menace. An easy round for Golovkin as Canelo is starting to slow, throwing less and less.
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Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 66-67 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 65-68 Golovkin)
Updated
Round 6
Canelo trying to push the action but Golovkin lands a big counter. Golovking moving forward and trying to pin Canelo against the ropes. He’s doing great body work on the Mexican, one debilitating body shot after another. Golovkin warned by referee Kenny Bayless to keep his shots above the beltline. The crowd is going wild, just roars from both contingents. A good round for Golovkin, who landed the better shots. Canelo looked a bit winded toward the end of that round. An ominous sign.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 57-57 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 56-58 Golovkin)
Round 5
Golovkin returns to the jab. He gets Canelo on the ropes again but can’t take advantage this time. A massive right hand by Golovkin rocks Canelo with a minute left in the round. Massive! He set it up with an uppercut and a jab before it sent beads of sweat flying into press row. Canelo shakes his head in defiance but that was a bomb. Golovkin unloading with Canelo on the ropes and now Canelo springs to life, landing a big combination! A firefight has broken out. What a round!
Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 48-47 Golovkin)
Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 47-48 Golovkin)
Updated
Round 4
Canelo looking more and more comfortable from this intermediate distance, but Golovkin is starting to throw and land more. And midway through the round he’s got Canelo up against the ropes and lands a sharp combination. Canelo now fighting off the ropes, at one point raising both gloves as if to say the shots don’t hurt. Canelo tries to unload with a left uppercut but Golovkin pops him with a compact left first. Golovkin still measured but heating up. An easy round for Golovkin and Canelo would do well to stay away from those ropes.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 39-37 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 38-38 Golovkin)
Round 3
Golovkin lands a sharp left early but Canelo is still countering nicely to the body. Huge chants for both fighters echoing throuhgout the arena. What an atmosphere. Canelo lands a big left uppercut and Golovkin tries to fire back but misses. Golovkin corners Canelo briefly but can’t take advantage against the Mexican, who’s standing his ground and making Golovkin miss with fluid head movement. Canelo simply faster at this point and outboxing the longtime middleweight champion.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 30-27 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 29-28 Golovkin)
Round 2
Another slow start. Golovkin parries a Canelo combination nicely but the pro-Álvarez crowd reacts as if it lands. A nice right hand over the top by Canelo lands. Golovkin advancing, advancing, probing with the jab. Another good body shot by Canelo, who’s heating up nicely even as he fights off the back foot. Golovkin tries to corner Canelo in the dying seconds over the round but misses a looping cross and Canelo counters beautifully with a right uppercut that lands flush but doesn’t appear to hurt the Kazakh. Canelo’s measured the distance well and his jab is firing well. An easy round to call.
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Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 20-18 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 19-19 Golovkin)
Updated
Round 1
Both men feeling each other out in the opening minutes, Canelo circling Golovkin back and to the left. Golovkin prodding with that left jab, landing two of them to the body. Canelo lands a jab of his own. A good counter hook to the body by Canelo, drawing big cheers from the crowd. Golovkin flicks a double jab and tries to follow over the top with a right cross but misses. Both miss on a pair of big shots. Golovkin’s jab looking stiff.
- Kevin Mitchell’s unofficial score: Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin (Álvarez 10-9 Golovkin)
- Bryan Graham’s unofficial score: Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin (Álvarez 9-10 Golovkin)
Updated
Michael Buffer is announcing the fighters. Canelo, the challenger, first, then Golovkin, whose WBC, WBA and IBF middleweight titles (and his undefeated record) are on the line. Now they’re getting their final instructions from referee Kenny Bayless. The seconds are out. And there’s the bell! We’ll pick it up with round-by-round coverage from here.
The fighters are making their ringwalks now. Gennady Golovkin is first to emerge from the tunnel as the White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army rings through the building. Big cheers for the Kazakh, all smiles per usual, as he climbs through the ropes and holds his right arm aloft. Even bigger cheers for Canelo as he walks to ranchera legend Vicente Fernández’s México Lindo y Querido, his traditional ringwalk song.
Anthem time in Las Vegas as the main event draws nearer. First the national anthem of Kazakhstan, then Mexico and now the United States.
Let’s talk predictions. I’ve spoken with several dozen boxers, trainers and fight people about tonight’s main event over the past few weeks and the picks for this one are all over the map. No one truly knows which way this one is going to go. Our Kevin Mitchell, also at ringside tonight, makes a compelling case for Golovkin, while I give Canelo the slightest of edges. More than two-thirds of our readers favor Golovkin right now, with most predicting a finish inside the distance.
We're ringside in Las Vegas for tonight's #CaneloGGG showdown. Who's your pick? https://t.co/LAbz4WCAsS
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 17, 2017
The countdown to the main event is under way. Joseph Diaz has just outpointed Rafael Rivera by scores of 120-108, 119-109 and 119-109 in a WBC featherweight title eliminator to become the mandatory challenger to Gary Russell Jr, the final undercard fight before Álvarez and Golovkin step in.
We’re into the ninth of 12 scheduled rounds in the Joseph Diaz Jr-Rafael Rivera fight and Diaz has opened a wide lead on my card. A pattering of cheers for Miguel Cotto when he was just shown on the JumboTron between rounds. The future Hall of Famer is coming off a beatdown of Japan’s Yoshihiro Kamegai that he says is a tune-up for his final bout, which he sincerely hopes will take place against tonight’s winner. Funny, that. He’s not alone.
Good luck to my next opponent! pic.twitter.com/zs5rtxI07X
— Daniel Jacobs (@DanielJacobsTKO) September 17, 2017
Diego De La Hoya just improved to 20-0 with a unanimous decision over Randy Caballero in their 10-round super bantamweight fight. Two judges turned in scores of 98-92 while the third had it a 100-90 shutout (as did the Guardian). That leaves just one more preliminary bout ahead of the main event: Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz Jr and Rafael ‘Big Bang’ Rivera in a WBC featherweight title eliminator scheduled for 12 rounds.
The referee for tonight’s main event is Kenny Bayless and the ringside judges are Dave Moretti, Adalaide Byrd and Don Trella. The choices of Moretti and Byrd, who it should be noted are regular selections in Las Vegas but who have turned the occasional head-scratching score in the past, has prompted a cynical response among some fight fans, who have intimated it could benefit the house fighter (i.e. Canelo).
Byrd and Moretti? pic.twitter.com/sg96jsJ0TM
— Damian Calhoun (@DamianCalhoun) September 16, 2017
Updated
The T-Mobile Arena is still about three-quarters empty with about an hour and a half left before the main event. That’s hardly unusual for Las Vegas. But the atmosphere right outside the building has been popping since lunchtime as fans have enjoyed an afternoon of revelry and cold beverages in the 88F sunshine.
Golovkin fans getting loud on the Strip ahead of tonight's big one. pic.twitter.com/TMjL7zqIQx
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 16, 2017
Canelo fans, featuring me at every wedding ever. pic.twitter.com/MtH7Fcu0Yf
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 16, 2017
Hello from Las Vegas for tonight’s middleweight title showdown between Canelo Álvarez and Gennady Golovkin! We’re roughly two hours away from one of the most eagerly anticipated fights of the decade as Golovkin, the Kazakh knockout artist known as Triple G, puts his WBA, IBF and WBC middleweight titles on the line against the toughest opponent of his career: the Mexican superstar Canelo Álvarez.
The first of three televised undercard bouts has just finished with Ryan Martin winning a split decision over Francisco Rojo in their 10-round lightweight scrap. The second prelim, a 10-rounder between junior featherweights Diego De La Hoya and Randy Caballero, is about to start, followed by a WBC featherweight eliminator between Joseph Diaz and Rafael Rivera scheduled for 12 rounds.
And then, at last, Álvarez and Golovkin will take the ring at approximately 8pm local time, 11pm ET and 4am BST.
We’ll be here from now through the final bell so feel free to say hello on Twitter on email. And chime in with your prediction below!
We're ringside in Las Vegas for tonight's #CaneloGGG showdown. Who's your pick? https://t.co/LAbz4WCAsS
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 17, 2017
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s Kevin Mitchell’s latest dispatch from the Las Vegas Strip.
