Los Angeles One of Gennadiy Golovkin's most endearing accomplishments was about to be taken away from him: When Canelo Alvarez was at his best, Golovkin was by far his toughest opponent.

Then, in the ninth round on Saturday night, Golovkin stopped seeming to be in his forties. He launched unreserved punches that hurt Alvarez and amplified the noise of the T-Mobile Arena fans to the point where it drowned out the ringside clapper. Even after the moment passed, it brought back thoughts of what made Golovkin and Alvarez's first two battles so memorable.

The third combat between the sworn enemies lacked the excitement and tension of the first two. Golovkin was able to save a significant portion of how he will be regarded in the sport even though he lost by unanimous decision.

One of the noteworthy achievements Golovkin made throughout his career, in addition to winning every championship and an Olympic medal, was to contribute to the development of a legendary rivalry that will go down as one of the best in the illustrious history of boxing.

Before the fight, Golovkin's trainer Johnathon Banks declared, "His legacy is sealed." "He has nothing else to demonstrate. The man took up every task."

Golovkin knew he couldn't lose going into the fight on Saturday. GGG faced off against Alvarez, who is regarded as one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world, as a sizable underdog (plus-380). The first encounter, which took place in September 2017 and was ruled a split draw due to Adalaide Byrd's 118-110 decision in favor of Alvarez, was widely seen as Golovkin's victory. In 2018, Alvarez narrowly prevailed via split decision, a result that was once again contested by many but was not nearly as contentious.

Golovkin was left looking for a victory over his competitor despite the public's perception strongly favoring him. GGG also signed an agreement with the firm, which should have facilitated a third fight, after Canelo signed a multifight contract with DAZN, a fledgling streaming network attempting to gain foothold in the United States at the time.

Golovkin acknowledged that he, like every other boxing fan, desired a third fight versus Alvarez after defeating Steve Rolls in June 2019.

Golovkin stated in his postfight interview on DAZN that evening, "Everybody knows." "Prepared for Canelo, I am. Bring him only. Simply ask him. I'm prepared. Tell him if you want a "Big Drama Show.""

Golovkin chose to wait. then awaited. then awaited.

His patience paid off because it took the same length of time to wait for Canelo-GGG 3 and a fight between welterweight champions Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford. According to ESPN's Mike Coppinger, Spence and Crawford have finally decided to face off, with a matchup tentatively set for November 19.

However, the logic for Alvarez and Golovkin to rematch eventually became too compelling. Golovkin was even open to moving up to the 168-pound weight class to take on his opponent once more.

DAZN executive Joe Markowski stated at a news conference that "this is what they desire and have been pushing for for several years." "We're thrilled to have put it together at last,"

You need go no further than Alvarez's choice to rematch Golovkin to understand the significance of what took place on Saturday. Since defeating Golovkin, Alvarez has become fixated on engaging in contests that cement his place among the sport's all-time great fighters and contribute to his legacy.

By defeating Caleb Plant in 2021, Alvarez earned the title of undisputed super middleweight champion, becoming the first Mexican to do it during the four-belt period. Alvarez tested his mettle earlier in 2022 when he fought Dimtry Bivol for the light heavyweight title. This audacious move led to Alvarez's second career loss in front of a judge.

The boxing icon from Mexico and one of the sport's biggest draws has verbally sparred with Golovkin, particularly in light of the criticism Alvarez endured after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs before their second fight.

However, the trait that Golovkin and Alvarez share is their readiness to take chances in order to exert themselves for significant benefits. Alvarez didn't hesitate to square off against Golovkin during the buildup to the fight, whose strength was demonstrated in a ninth-round finish of Ryota Murata in April.

In a press conference prior to the fight, Alvarez stated, "He's a good fighter, he's a dangerous fighter. "Without a doubt. But if you want anything, like I do for this, you have to take a chance. And I'm confident that I can take a chance to achieve my goals."

However, the third round of the second battle lacked much of the intensity that had kept the drama going through 24 rounds. As each boxer failed to damage the other, those who remembered earlier fights booed intermittently. After the bout, both fighters stated that the third fight was a good one, despite the fact that this is clearly the minority position.

But towards the conclusion, the crowd stood to applaud both boxers. They exchanged words and gave each other a lengthy embrace after the 36th round of fighting. Golovkin makes a point of shaking Canelo's hand after finishing his postfight interview with DAZN. They were no longer at each other's throats in anger.

Golovkin said he wasn't planned on retiring anytime soon, even at his advanced age. He made a point of telling the Las Vegas fans that he still holds two middleweight belts and is the 160-pound champion, which made Canelo chuckle and smile.

But whenever Golovkin puts his gloves away for forever, he will always be recognized for a thrilling rivalry fought at the pinnacle of the sport.

He smiled and posed for photos in his elaborate blue-and-gold robe as he made his way back down the tunnel to his locker room, taking in the applause.