Although it ended with a controversial draw, Canelo Alvarez and Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin gave boxing fans the fight they wanted in Las Vegas.
Following the loud lead-up to the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor spectacle, Alvarez and Golovkin entered the ring without quite as much trash talk—but they delivered on everything else.
The two middleweight boxers threw smash after smash through 12 rounds, and by the end, each fighter felt they had done enough to win. The judges agreed—sort of.
Judge Dave Moretti scored the fight 115-113 for Golovkin, while Don Trella gave it a 114-114 tie. Things erupted into controversy after judge Adalaide Byrd scored the match 118-110 for Alvarez, making the fight a split draw. Many around the boxing world felt that dominant score was too tilted toward Alvarez. For comparison, HBO’s unofficial scorer, Harold Lederman, and ESPN.com’s judge, each scored the fight 116-112 for Golovkin.
The controversial end means a rematch between Alvarez and Golovkin is all but certain at some point. Both fighters expressed interest in another bout after the event.
“Yes, of course. Obviously, yes. If the people want it, yes. He didn’t win. It was a draw,” Alvarez said, according to ESPN. “I always said I was going to be a step ahead of him. We’ll fight in the second one, but I’ll win.”
“Of course I want the rematch. This was a real fight,” Golovkin said.
Here are the 10 best moments and photos from the fight.