Report: The third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin generated a disappointing 550,000-575,000 pay-per-view buys.
Fans evidently weren’t particularly excited to see Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin III.
The fight on Saturday in Las Vegas generated between 550,000 to 575,000 pay-per-view buys in the United States, according sources of Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite. One source told Rafael that the final figure could climb to 600,000.
Those numbers are considerably smaller than the 1.3 million buys for their first fight, a disputed draw in 2017, and 1.1 million for Alvarez’s majority-decision victory the following year. Alvarez-Caleb Plant did a reported 800,000 last November, followed by 520,000 for Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol in May.
[lawrence-related id=32833,32783]
The buy rate on Saturday could also mean that the promotion could lose money. Sources told Rafael that DAZN had to do well above 600,000 to break even given the combined $75 million it guaranteed the fighters.
The fight cost DAZN subscribers $64.99. Others had to pay $84.99. Rafael reported that an estimated 200,000 non-subscribers bought in.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) defeated Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) by a unanimous decision in their third fight.
Report: The third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin generated a disappointing 550,000-575,000 pay-per-view buys.
Fans evidently weren’t particularly excited to see Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin III.
The fight on Saturday in Las Vegas generated between 550,000 to 575,000 pay-per-view buys in the United States, according sources of Dan Rafael of Fight Freaks Unite. One source told Rafael that the final figure could climb to 600,000.
Those numbers are considerably smaller than the 1.3 million buys for their first fight, a disputed draw in 2017, and 1.1 million for Alvarez’s majority-decision victory the following year. Alvarez-Caleb Plant did a reported 800,000 last November, followed by 520,000 for Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol in May.
[lawrence-related id=32833,32783]
The buy rate on Saturday could also mean that the promotion could lose money. Sources told Rafael that DAZN had to do well above 600,000 to break even given the combined $75 million it guaranteed the fighters.
The fight cost DAZN subscribers $64.99. Others had to pay $84.99. Rafael reported that an estimated 200,000 non-subscribers bought in.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) defeated Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) by a unanimous decision in their third fight.
A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD The “good” that came out of the third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin on Saturday is that it’s over. The 40-year-old Triple-G looked his age for two thirds of the bout and 39 in the …
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
The “good” that came out of the third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin on Saturday is that it’s over.
The 40-year-old Triple-G looked his age for two thirds of the bout and 39 in the last third. Alvarez faded down the stretch of a fight he never really wanted, complaining afterward that he aggravated a painful wrist injury that will require surgery.
The result was painful to watch.
The first seven, eight rounds weren’t remotely competitive, as Alvarez pushed the action and the plodding Golovkin focused on avoiding punishment rather than dishing any of it out. He threw almost nothing but inaccurate jabs.
It was as if Golovkin – who had pushed his rival to his limits in their two previous fights – didn’t belong in the ring with him at this stage of the game.
A clearly frustrated Johnathan Banks, Golovkin’s trainer, said in a ringside interview during Round 8 that his man needed to get to work. The fact is he didn’t show up for work for most of the fight.
Triple-G began to fight back in the eighth or ninth round, which made the fight competitive from then on. He claimed that the late start was his strategy, perhaps because he no longer has the stamina to fight hard for 12 rounds.
That effort didn’t save Golovkin or the fight.
The rally (if that’s what it was) was too little, too late, as he lost a unanimous decision by scores — 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 — that were this ridiculously generous to the loser. (See “worse” below.)
And a few competitive rounds don’t transform a horrible fight into a good one, unless you like watching a shell of a once-great fighter face an injured opponent who didn’t seem the least bit inspired.
The first two fights between Alvarez and Golovkin were good fights. The third couldn’t have been more forgettable.
BAD
What’s next for Alvarez and Golovkin?
Alvarez said he wants to give his body time to heal, including what he said would be a surgically repaired wrist. Then he will pursue a rematch Dmitry Bivol, assuming the Russian defeats Gilberto Ramirez in November.
“And I’ll beat him,” Alvarez said after the fight Saturday.
I don’t think so.
Bivol’s unanimous-decision victory over Alvarez in May was convincing. He was the bigger, much better fighter that night. And I saw nothing in Alvarez’s third fight with Golovkin that leads me to believe he could overcome Bivol in a rematch, although I’ll take his word on the injury.
I get the desire for a rematch. Pride. However, I think Alvarez would be wiser to face opponents smaller than Bivol, guys like David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo. Those fights would be more winnable for Alvarez and better received by the fans.
Who wouldn’t want to see Alvarez vs. Benavidez? That’s the most exciting potential matchup for the Mexican.
Alvarez will have plenty of time to consider his options. I’m hoping he puts his pride aside and goes in a fan-friendly direction.
Golovkin?
He made it clear after the fight that he plans to move back down to 160 to defend his middleweight titles, which makes me uncomfortable.
He might still be able to beat the likes of Kamil Szeremeta and Ryota Murata, his victims in his previous two fights. But can you imagine him fighting Demetrius Andrade or Jermall Charlo? I don’t want to think about that.
The Gennadiy Golovkin who once destroyed everyone in his path is gone. Maybe it’s time to move on.
WORSE
FightNews.com
I could ask this question about all too many fights that go the distance: What were the judges watching?
I gave Golovkin one of the 12 rounds. I can see giving him two, maybe even three if you gave him the benefit of every doubt. But five?
That’s what judges Steve Weisfeld and David Sutherland saw. They both gave Golovkin the first round and four of the last five. Judge Dave Moretti gave the loser four rounds, all coming in the final seven.
I acknowledge that Golovkin was more competitive in the final third of the fight but he was still inaccurate with his shots – mostly jabs – in those rounds. He was better but not particularly effective.
Alvarez didn’t have his best stretch, either. However, I thought he continued to land the more eye-catching shots.
Consider this: Had judges Weisfeld and Sutherland given Golovkin just one more round, a one-sided, not-really-competitive fight would’ve been a majority draw. Imagine the uproar had that occurred.
The bottom line for me? The official scoring had to be jarring for disappointed fans because they saw what they saw, a fight dominated by Alvarez that should’ve been scored as such. They know the scoring didn’t reflect what happened in the ring.
It was as if the judges bent over backward to justify a bad matchup. That’s not their job.
RABBIT PUNCHES
News item No. 1: Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) and Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) have agreed to terms for a welterweight showdown on Nov. 19, although no one has signed anything. That’s the best possible matchup in boxing, reminiscent of great 147-pound matchups of the past. I wish Crawford (34) were a little younger but I’m not complaining. I hope it happens. … News item No. 2: Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshuaapparently will meet on Dec. 3. It’s a strange matchup given Joshua’s back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, which has damaged his legacy. Why not fight Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship? Because an all-British matchup between Fury and Joshua is bigger than Fury-Usyk in terms of business, certainly in the U.K. It might be the most lucrative fight in the history of that country in spite of Joshua’s obvious vulnerabilities. I get it. Fury can fight Usyk later. Who wins the aforementioned fights? I now lean toward Crawford in a close fight with Spence because he’s the better, more dynamic all-around boxer. And no active heavyweight can beat a focused, fit Fury. …
Boxing can be funny. Junior bantamweight titleholder Bam Rodiguez (17-0, 11 KOs) destroyed Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and then struggled on the Alvarez-Golovkin card against an opponent he was expected to handle easily, four-time title challenger Israel Gonzalez (28-5-1, 11 KOs). Rodriguez deserved the unanimous-decision victory but he had to work hard for it. Why? Give Gonzalez credit. The 25-year-old Mexican is a good, experienced fighter. And Rodriguez probably suffered somewhat of a let down after his life-changing victories earlier in the year. The 22-year-old from San Antonio deserves credit for getting the job done. And, of course, he remains a Fighter of the Year candidate. … Super middleweight contender Ali Akhmedov (19-1, 14 KOs) looked terrific in his shutout-decision victory over veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs) on the Alvarez-Golovkin card. Golovkin’s stable mate outboxed and outworked Rosado, who was never given a chance to get anything done. I’ll always wonder about Akhmedov’s chin light of his knockout loss to Carlos Gongora in 2020 but he clearly can fight. Rosado, 36, has now lost his last three fights. The end for the scrappy Philadelphia fighter is near.
A critical look at the past week in boxing GOOD The “good” that came out of the third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin on Saturday is that it’s over. The 40-year-old Triple-G looked his age for two thirds of the bout and 39 in the …
A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
The “good” that came out of the third fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin on Saturday is that it’s over.
The 40-year-old Triple-G looked his age for two thirds of the bout and 39 in the last third. Alvarez faded down the stretch of a fight he never really wanted, complaining afterward that he aggravated a painful wrist injury that will require surgery.
The result was painful to watch.
The first seven, eight rounds weren’t remotely competitive, as Alvarez pushed the action and the plodding Golovkin focused on avoiding punishment rather than dishing any of it out. He threw almost nothing but inaccurate jabs.
It was as if Golovkin – who had pushed his rival to his limits in their two previous fights – didn’t belong in the ring with him at this stage of the game.
A clearly frustrated Johnathan Banks, Golovkin’s trainer, said in a ringside interview during Round 8 that his man needed to get to work. The fact is he didn’t show up for work for most of the fight.
Triple-G began to fight back in the eighth or ninth round, which made the fight competitive from then on. He claimed that the late start was his strategy, perhaps because he no longer has the stamina to fight hard for 12 rounds.
That effort didn’t save Golovkin or the fight.
The rally (if that’s what it was) was too little, too late, as he lost a unanimous decision by scores — 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 — that were this ridiculously generous to the loser. (See “worse” below.)
And a few competitive rounds don’t transform a horrible fight into a good one, unless you like watching a shell of a once-great fighter face an injured opponent who didn’t seem the least bit inspired.
The first two fights between Alvarez and Golovkin were good fights. The third couldn’t have been more forgettable.
BAD
What’s next for Alvarez and Golovkin?
Alvarez said he wants to give his body time to heal, including what he said would be a surgically repaired wrist. Then he will pursue a rematch Dmitry Bivol, assuming the Russian defeats Gilberto Ramirez in November.
“And I’ll beat him,” Alvarez said after the fight Saturday.
I don’t think so.
Bivol’s unanimous-decision victory over Alvarez in May was convincing. He was the bigger, much better fighter that night. And I saw nothing in Alvarez’s third fight with Golovkin that leads me to believe he could overcome Bivol in a rematch, although I’ll take his word on the injury.
I get the desire for a rematch. Pride. However, I think Alvarez would be wiser to face opponents smaller than Bivol, guys like David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo. Those fights would be more winnable for Alvarez and better received by the fans.
Who wouldn’t want to see Alvarez vs. Benavidez? That’s the most exciting potential matchup for the Mexican.
Alvarez will have plenty of time to consider his options. I’m hoping he puts his pride aside and goes in a fan-friendly direction.
Golovkin?
He made it clear after the fight that he plans to move back down to 160 to defend his middleweight titles, which makes me uncomfortable.
He might still be able to beat the likes of Kamil Szeremeta and Ryota Murata, his victims in his previous two fights. But can you imagine him fighting Demetrius Andrade or Jermall Charlo? I don’t want to think about that.
The Gennadiy Golovkin who once destroyed everyone in his path is gone. Maybe it’s time to move on.
WORSE
FightNews.com
I could ask this question about all too many fights that go the distance: What were the judges watching?
I gave Golovkin one of the 12 rounds. I can see giving him two, maybe even three if you gave him the benefit of every doubt. But five?
That’s what judges Steve Weisfeld and David Sutherland saw. They both gave Golovkin the first round and four of the last five. Judge Dave Moretti gave the loser four rounds, all coming in the final seven.
I acknowledge that Golovkin was more competitive in the final third of the fight but he was still inaccurate with his shots – mostly jabs – in those rounds. He was better but not particularly effective.
Alvarez didn’t have his best stretch, either. However, I thought he continued to land the more eye-catching shots.
Consider this: Had judges Weisfeld and Sutherland given Golovkin just one more round, a one-sided, not-really-competitive fight would’ve been a majority draw. Imagine the uproar had that occurred.
The bottom line for me? The official scoring had to be jarring for disappointed fans because they saw what they saw, a fight dominated by Alvarez that should’ve been scored as such. They know the scoring didn’t reflect what happened in the ring.
It was as if the judges bent over backward to justify a bad matchup. That’s not their job.
RABBIT PUNCHES
News item No. 1: Terence Crawford (38-0, 29 KOs) and Errol Spence Jr. (28-0, 22 KOs) have agreed to terms for a welterweight showdown on Nov. 19, although no one has signed anything. That’s the best possible matchup in boxing, reminiscent of great 147-pound matchups of the past. I wish Crawford (34) were a little younger but I’m not complaining. I hope it happens. … News item No. 2: Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshuaapparently will meet on Dec. 3. It’s a strange matchup given Joshua’s back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk, which has damaged his legacy. Why not fight Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship? Because an all-British matchup between Fury and Joshua is bigger than Fury-Usyk in terms of business, certainly in the U.K. It might be the most lucrative fight in the history of that country in spite of Joshua’s obvious vulnerabilities. I get it. Fury can fight Usyk later. Who wins the aforementioned fights? I now lean toward Crawford in a close fight with Spence because he’s the better, more dynamic all-around boxer. And no active heavyweight can beat a focused, fit Fury. …
Boxing can be funny. Junior bantamweight titleholder Bam Rodiguez (17-0, 11 KOs) destroyed Carlos Cuadras and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai and then struggled on the Alvarez-Golovkin card against an opponent he was expected to handle easily, four-time title challenger Israel Gonzalez (28-5-1, 11 KOs). Rodriguez deserved the unanimous-decision victory but he had to work hard for it. Why? Give Gonzalez credit. The 25-year-old Mexican is a good, experienced fighter. And Rodriguez probably suffered somewhat of a let down after his life-changing victories earlier in the year. The 22-year-old from San Antonio deserves credit for getting the job done. And, of course, he remains a Fighter of the Year candidate. … Super middleweight contender Ali Akhmedov (19-1, 14 KOs) looked terrific in his shutout-decision victory over veteran Gabriel Rosado (26-16-1, 15 KOs) on the Alvarez-Golovkin card. Golovkin’s stable mate outboxed and outworked Rosado, who was never given a chance to get anything done. I’ll always wonder about Akhmedov’s chin light of his knockout loss to Carlos Gongora in 2020 but he clearly can fight. Rosado, 36, has now lost his last three fights. The end for the scrappy Philadelphia fighter is near.
The injury, which he said originated during his victory over Caleb Plant last November, could keep him out for as long as a year.
“It hurts everywhere,” he said of his wrist at the post-fight news conference. “I’ve had these issues since the Caleb Plant fight so I was like, ‘It’s OK, later, later.’ And then I started [to feel] really bad, I need surgery. It was really bad, really bad.
“It’s not broken, it’s a meniscus, it’s a wrist injury, not broken. It’s ligaments, like a knee injury or something like that. … I’m going to take the time my body needs. Last year I fought four times in 11 months, so that’s why.
“But I need to take my time a little bit, maybe May, September. I need to take my time.”
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) defeated Golovkin (42-2-1, 27 KOs) by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 to retain his undisputed championship.
The Mexican star said he would pursue a rematch with Dmitry Bivol if the Russian defeats Gilberto Ramirez in November. Bivol upset Alvarez last May.
The injury, which he said originated during his victory over Caleb Plant last November, could keep him out for as long as a year.
“It hurts everywhere,” he said of his wrist at the post-fight news conference. “I’ve had these issues since the Caleb Plant fight so I was like, ‘It’s OK, later, later.’ And then I started [to feel] really bad, I need surgery. It was really bad, really bad.
“It’s not broken, it’s a meniscus, it’s a wrist injury, not broken. It’s ligaments, like a knee injury or something like that. … I’m going to take the time my body needs. Last year I fought four times in 11 months, so that’s why.
“But I need to take my time a little bit, maybe May, September. I need to take my time.”
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) defeated Golovkin (42-2-1, 27 KOs) by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 to retain his undisputed championship.
The Mexican star said he would pursue a rematch with Dmitry Bivol if the Russian defeats Gilberto Ramirez in November. Bivol upset Alvarez last May.
Canelo Alvarez made Gennadiy Golovkin look his age in a unanimous-decision victory Saturday in Las Vegas.
Rounds 25-36 looked nothing like 1-24.
Canelo Alvarez, who received all his could handle in two previous fights with Gennadiy Golovkin, made Triple-G look all of his 40 years for most of the fight en route to winning a unanimous decision Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The bizarre scores were 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113, which didn’t reflect what happened in the ring. Boxing Junkie scored it 119-111 for Alvarez, 11 rounds to one.
Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) was a significant underdog for a reason, and not just because he’s eight years older than his prime rival. The Kazakhstani fighter also moved up from 160 pounds to 168 to face a pound-for-pound great.
Thus, the result was predictable even though Alvarez said afterward that he fought with an injured left hand.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) was in complete control for the first two thirds of the fight, as he pushed the action and threw power shots to the head and body with bad intentions.
Golovkin did almost nothing in response, throwing only jabs here and there and an occasional power shot. He was more concerned with surviving that winning those rounds, which made for a uncompetitive fight through eight rounds.
Then, in Round 9, Golovkin came to life to some degree. He began to plant his feet and actually fight back until the final bell, more or less matching Alvarez punch for punch down the stretch.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Alvarez said. “He’s a strong fighter.”
Alas, it wasn’t enough for Golovkin, who lost eight rounds on one card and seven on the other two in what might be his last super fight.
After the decision was announced, the two embraced as if there had never been a cross word between them over the years. In the end, they clearly had respect for one another.
“Thank you for everything, my friend,” he said to Golovkin. “We gave the fans three good fights.”
Alvarez is now 2-0-1 against Triple-G, after a disputed draw in 2017 and a majority decision victory the following year. He had called his rivalry with Golovkin “finished business” after the second fight.
Now their series actually appears to be over, which gives Alvarez an opportunity move on to opponents closer to his age.
He confirmed afterward that No. 1 on his list is Dmitry Bivol, who stunned him and the boxing world by outpointing him in May. It was his first setback since 2013, when he lost to Floyd Mayweather.
The loss to Bivol knocked the Mexican star off the top of most pound-for-pound lists. He wants revenge.
He said the hand injury will require surgery and he wants to rest. After that he’ll pursue a rematch with Bivol, assuming the Russian defeats Gilberto Ramirez on Nov. 5.
“We’ll see what happens in that fight,” Alvarez said. “… I need to get strength back in my hand and my body and come back stronger than ever. [The rematch with Bivol] is important for my legacy, for me, for my pride, for my country, for my family, for everything.
“And I will beat him.”
Golovkin? He said he’s not finished. He evidently will go back down to 160.
“Remember, I have three belts at 160,” he said. “I’m still champion, guys.”
Canelo Alvarez made Gennadiy Golovkin look his age in a unanimous-decision victory Saturday in Las Vegas.
Rounds 25-36 looked nothing like 1-24.
Canelo Alvarez, who received all his could handle in two previous fights with Gennadiy Golovkin, made Triple-G look all of his 40 years for most of the fight en route to winning a unanimous decision Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The bizarre scores were 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113, which didn’t reflect what happened in the ring. Boxing Junkie scored it 119-111 for Alvarez, 11 rounds to one.
Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs) was a significant underdog for a reason, and not just because he’s eight years older than his prime rival. The Kazakhstani fighter also moved up from 160 pounds to 168 to face a pound-for-pound great.
Thus, the result was predictable even though Alvarez said afterward that he fought with an injured left hand.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) was in complete control for the first two thirds of the fight, as he pushed the action and threw power shots to the head and body with bad intentions.
Golovkin did almost nothing in response, throwing only jabs here and there and an occasional power shot. He was more concerned with surviving that winning those rounds, which made for a uncompetitive fight through eight rounds.
Then, in Round 9, Golovkin came to life to some degree. He began to plant his feet and actually fight back until the final bell, more or less matching Alvarez punch for punch down the stretch.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Alvarez said. “He’s a strong fighter.”
Alas, it wasn’t enough for Golovkin, who lost eight rounds on one card and seven on the other two in what might be his last super fight.
After the decision was announced, the two embraced as if there had never been a cross word between them over the years. In the end, they clearly had respect for one another.
“Thank you for everything, my friend,” he said to Golovkin. “We gave the fans three good fights.”
Alvarez is now 2-0-1 against Triple-G, after a disputed draw in 2017 and a majority decision victory the following year. He had called his rivalry with Golovkin “finished business” after the second fight.
Now their series actually appears to be over, which gives Alvarez an opportunity move on to opponents closer to his age.
He confirmed afterward that No. 1 on his list is Dmitry Bivol, who stunned him and the boxing world by outpointing him in May. It was his first setback since 2013, when he lost to Floyd Mayweather.
The loss to Bivol knocked the Mexican star off the top of most pound-for-pound lists. He wants revenge.
He said the hand injury will require surgery and he wants to rest. After that he’ll pursue a rematch with Bivol, assuming the Russian defeats Gilberto Ramirez on Nov. 5.
“We’ll see what happens in that fight,” Alvarez said. “… I need to get strength back in my hand and my body and come back stronger than ever. [The rematch with Bivol] is important for my legacy, for me, for my pride, for my country, for my family, for everything.
“And I will beat him.”
Golovkin? He said he’s not finished. He evidently will go back down to 160.
“Remember, I have three belts at 160,” he said. “I’m still champion, guys.”
Bam Rodriguez got past a surprisingly tough Israel Gonzalez by a unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovin card Saturday.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez’s easiest fight on paper this year turned out to be his hardest in the ring.
Rodriguez, who caused a sensation by outpointing Carlos Cuadras and stopping Srisaket Sor Rungvisai in back-to-back fights, defeated a stubborn Israel Gonzalez by a unanimous decision to retain his 115-pound title on the Canelo Alvarez-Gennadiy Golovkin card Saturday in Las Vegas.
The scores were 118-109, 117-110 and 114-113. Boxing Junkie scored it 115-112 for Rodriguez, eight rounds to four.
Rodriguez (17-0, 11 KOs) had to work hard to come away with the victory.
Gonzalez, a four-time title challenger from Mexico, got off to a quick start by outworking Rodriguez — including a number of body shots — in the first several rounds.
However, by Round 3 or 4, Rodriguez picked up his pace and began to land an assortment of punches that were harder and cleaner than those of his light-punching opponent, which obviously impressed the judges.
And the 22-year-old from San Antonio had some of his best rounds down the stretch, when the outcome seemed to be in doubt. Boxing Junkie had the fight even after nine rounds but gave Rodriguez the final three rounds, which gave him the victory on our card.
Overall, Gonzalez (28-5-1, 11 KOs) threw more punches than Rodriguez but the winner slipped or blocked many of them and few caused damage.
Rodriguez lost a point for a low blow in Round 8 and could’ve lost another in Round 11 but referee Kenny Bayless missed the second foul, which sent Gonzalez to his knees.
Of course, a second point deduction would’ve had no bearing on the outcome given the two one-sided cards.
Rodriguez 3-0 this year, remains a Fighter of the Year candidate. He could face the winner of the title fight between Juan Francisco Estrada and Roman Gonzalez in December.
Israel Gonzalez is 0-4 in world title fights, although he probably performed well enough on Saturday to stay in contention for yet another shot at a belt.
