Even with a major judging controversy casting a large shadow, Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin was a fight that delivered the action that was promised for months, according to UFC Hall of Famer Frank Trigg.
Trigg appeared on the “Holy Smokes MMA Podcast” to discuss the Canelo vs. Golovkin as he, and so many others in the MMA community, thought Golovkin won the fight and were not happy with how judge Adalaide Byrd scored the bout (118-110 Canelo). Trigg had a different take on the scoring controversy, saying that he knew the fight would go to the draw by the time the eighth round ended.
Canelo and Golovkin fought to a split draw on September 16, but many felt that Byrd’s score soured the overall result and that Golovkin was the rightful winner, including Trigg who had GGG winning by three rounds.
“I know the judges, I know how the judges judge and that’s something fighters have to watch out for – who are my judges? If it comes to a decision, there is a shot you could get screwed with the wrong set of judges. When we got to about the end of the eighth round, I told everyone in the room, ‘It’s going to be a draw.’ I had GGG winning by three rounds at the end of the fight, now mind you. I’m drinking scotch, I’m talking, I’m not paying attention to the entire fight, but 100 percent I see GGG winning three rounds. That tells you something that after eight rounds, I had GGG winning, but I knew it was going to go to a draw,” Trigg said.
With some of the sport’s biggest judging controversies taking place in Nevada in the past couple of years, and with the Nevada State Athletic Commission being under fire for bending the rules for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor fight, Trigg wonders if this latest controversy will get boxers to think about fighting outside of Nevada.
“It kind of makes Nevada look a little bad because now every other boxer will go, ‘We might save money in Nevada because there’s no personal income tax in Nevada, and I would save a lot of money, but if I go there, I might have a shot at getting screwed by the judges. I might as well go to California,’” Trigg said.
As far as a rematch between Canelo and Golovkin is concerned, Trigg thinks the two could have a rematch as soon as Cinco De Mayo weekend in 2018. Cinco De Mayo is a popular time for top Mexican boxers to have high-profile matches and Canelo has had plenty of experience fighting on that weekend, including Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. during Cinco De Mayo weekend earlier this year.
“I kind of feel like the rematch is going to be in California. I wouldn’t be surprised if the fight is done in Cinco De Mayo. They fought on Mexican Independence Day (September 16) for Canelo and they would fight on Cinco De Mayo for Canelo because GGG doesn’t care when the fight is, where the fight is., he just wants to fight. I think the fight would be much closer if they do get to a rematch. I think Canelo is going to have to learn from his mistakes and know that he’ll have to stay off the ropes. That fight, no matter the end result, was an amazing fight. It was an incredible fight and I wished I was in the arena to watch that fight,” Trigg said.
Both Canelo and GGG have stated in post-fight interviews that they would be open to a rematch.
The “Holy Smokes MMA Podcast” hosted by “Showdown Joe Ferraro and Fightful managing editor Sean Ross Sapp can be seen every Tuesday live at 3 p.m. ET on Fightful.com and on YouTube.
