Boxing: Wise Canelo can stop unbeaten Golovkin, says Foreman

Las Vegas, September 14: With the Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor show out of town, Gennady Golovkin and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez are set to take centre stage and former heavyweight champion George Foreman is tipping the Mexican to stop his flawless opponent.

Undefeated Kazakh star Golovkin, 35, will put his IBF, IBO, WBA (Super) and WBC middleweight belts on the line against Canelo at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday (September 16).

Golovkin – who has amassed a staggering 33 knockouts – will also look to extend his perfect record to 38-0 when he faces Canelo in a showdown between two of boxing's biggest hitters.

Canelo's only defeat in 51 previous professional fights came against Mayweather in 2013, but Foreman told Omnisport he is leaning towards the wiser 27-year-old.

Game on!#3días #16deSeptiembre #CaneloGGG #TeamCanelo pic.twitter.com/80aVJCJXjc

— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) September 13, 2017

"It is hard to come behind such a show like Mayweather and McGregor but I think these guys will put on a good fight," Foreman, 68, said.

"It is going to be an evenly-matched bout. When you get two punchers together, both become very smart, trying to avoid the punch.

"It turns out being a 12-round decision. If it does, I think Canelo will win on points.

"I think both guys are so worried about the punch, neither will leave themselves open for a punch.

"You don't want to go toe-to-toe with a puncher unless you're ignorant about his punching power like I was against Ron Lyle [in 1976]. I didn't think he was punching, I thought it was a build-up thing. So I went in there and tried to box him, dropping my hands and next thing you know, I almost got killed.

"That's not going to happen with these two fighters. They're both aware of the power of one another."

I brought my belts with me and I am going to bring them back home#GGG #teamGGG #allthebelts pic.twitter.com/lGDixDraYx

— Gennady Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) September 13, 2017

Mayweather remains the only blemish on Canelo's record following their super-fight four years ago.

Canelo lost in a 12-round majority decision at a catch-weight just below light-middleweight, but he has since gone on to win seven successive fights – accounting for the likes of Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan and most recently Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in May.

"Certain guys can avoid being knocked by you and I think Canelo knows that for a fact that he needs to keep his reserve and land hard punches when he can," Foreman continued.

"Wait for a good opening. He may land three shots but that doesn't mean it will be the end of the fight. He didn't know that before the Mayweather bout. He is a wise fighter now.

"Golovkin, that's all he knows. Land those good hard body shots and to the head. He doesn't seem to know anything else."

Source: OPTA