"Just a shiny trinket"- Fans react to WBC revealing a special belt for Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin 3 in Las Vegas
It seems that Canelo Alvarez's trilogy bout with Gennadiy Golovkin will have another belt involved.
The two champions have faced off twice in the past, in 2017 and 2018. The first outing was seen as a great performance by 'GGG'. However, in a shocker, the bout was ruled a split draw and warranted an immediate rematch.
They faced off again a year later and the rematch was an absolute barn-burner. The outing was still close, but saw Alvarez claim victory after 12 rounds by majority decision. After the second fight, the two men went their own ways.
Now, four years later, they're set to fight for the third and final time next week. The matchup will take place at 168 pounds, and Alvarez will put his WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles on the line.
If all those championships aren't enough, there will now be another one. The WBC announced that a special ceremonial title will be awarded to the winner of Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin 3. The championship is called the Zapoteca Belt, also known as the Jaguar Warrior Belt.
See the new belt below:
Today, we unveil the "Zapoteca Belt" also known as “Jaguar Warrior Belt”, a masterpiece created by the greatest artisans of the Zapotec culture, from the State of Oaxaca.
This special trophy will be contested by #CaneloGGG on Sept. 17 at the T-Mobile Arena. https://t.co/xRdTeQMMBn
The specialty title didn't receive a warm greeting from fans online. Many fans believe there are too many championships in boxing, and this doesn't help that stigma. One fan stated that the new title was just a shiny trinket.
See the fan response below:
@SportingIcons_ @WBCBoxing Just a shiny trinket
@WBCBoxing Short of UGLY looking! for a 3% cost for WBC
@WBCBoxing https://t.co/5EkNVEAx9a
@WBCBoxing y’all are just getting bored now😂
@WBCBoxing I swear, they create a unique belt for every Canelo fight.
@WBCBoxing This belt is in competition with Jake Paul's
However, not everyone hated the new title. Some fans praised the design and artwork.
@WBCBoxing Phenomenal Belt
@WBCBoxing It's a beautiful piece of #art
@WBCBoxing beautiful art
@WBCBoxing That's magnificent!
Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin 3: Betting Odds
Presently, Canelo Alvarez is favored to defeat Gennadiy Golovin next Saturday in Las Vegas.
In their first two outings years ago, 'GGG' seemed to be a step ahead of the Mexican superstar. Although he walked away with a draw and a defeat, many fans and pundits believe Golovkin deserved at least one victory in the series.
However, a lot can change in four years. Golovkin hasn't lost a fight since his loss to Alvarez in 2018, but he's had some major challenges. He's now 40 years old, has taken a lot of damage in his last few bouts, and may be slowing down.
Meanwhile, the Mexican superstar is currently in his prime and has been dominant up to his loss to Dmitry Bivol in May. With that in mind, Alvarez is currently a heavy favorite heading into the trilogy.
According to MGM, Canelo Alvarez is a -450 favorite. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old enters the contest as the +350 underdog. With odds like that, it seems that fans are riding with the Mexican boxer in the third fight.