Overall it was the least spectacular of the three encounters, but it was brought to a thrilling climax by Triple G’s late rally that brought him within striking distance of what would be seen as justice.
It was close enough to be another draw on my card, but under the circumstances a narrow win for Canelo Alvarez doesn’t qualify as contentious.
Canelo Alvarez (right) wins a unanimous decision over Gennady Golovkin (left) to complete their Vegas trilogy
The Mexican received the nod from all three judges, with one score 116-112 and two 115-113 as he claimed the decisive victory.
One judge’s score of 116-112 was off, but the other two cards of 115-113 mean a unanimous victory could be easy on everyone’s conscience.
Canelo fired up the T-Mobile Arena with a hot start that seemed to have the fight won by the halfway mark. Had two or three more of his wild left swings landed, he might have actually pulled off the definitive KO he craved.
Just where Golovkin found the energy in his 40-year-old body to put himself in a stand, only the Kazakh may know. There were moments when the crowd shut out, but maybe it was a little too late.
In the end the result was acceptable throughout. Golovkin put his grievances behind him to hail his conqueror as a “great fighter”.
Canelo hugged the man who had been his most bitter rival over the years, gave him a matching compliment and thanked him for sharing the story with him.
And we all went into the night happy.
Canelo retained his full collection of super middleweight belts, having returned to winning ways after losing in May
Golovkin rallied late, landed some of his trademark shots, but ultimately it was Canelo who got the decision
Canelo landed a series of notable shots, with his incredibly powerful right hand connecting flush to Golovkin’s chin
SCORE CARD JEFF POWELL Canelo Golovkin Round 9 110 10 2 9 10 3 9 10 4 9 10 5 9 9 6 10 10 7 10 10 8 9 9 9 10 9 10 10 10 3 9 10 4 9 10 5 9 9 6 10 10 7 10 10 8 9 9 9 10 9 10 10 10101010
They had spent four years in the crucible. Almost half a decade of bad weather and delay, accusations and anger, demands and denials. All after two dazzling matches overwhelmed by the crisis of confrontations.
We only got here at the end because Canelo needed a path to redemption after his second career loss, to unheralded Russian light-heavyweight Dimitry Bivol four months ago.
And because Golovkin continued to defy Father Time as he turned 40 and hosted Canelo by moving up to super-middleweight for the first time in his career.
And because Golovkin agreed to return to this scene of crimes with which the judges of Vegas had caused the only loss and draw of his career, in favor of Alvarez.
Oh, and about the money. This is the fight digital broadcaster DAZN predicted as it poured some of Sir Len Blavatnik’s billions into boxing. With hefty fees paid into wallets in the eight figures when it was done.
Part of that investment was recouped with pay-per-view purchases in America at $85 apiece.
And by the thousands of Mexican Independence celebrants who flocked here, turning Sin City into Margarita-ville and filling T-Mobile Arena in pilgrimage.
Canelo greeted the T-Mobile Arena fans who were there in large part to support the reigning super-middleweight champion
His impressive ring walk was followed by a performance by a mariachi band that fueled a raucous atmosphere
For Triple G, who hasn’t fought in his native Kazakhstan in eight years, there was nothing new about battling both the crowd and the opponent.
The ultimate street warrior practices blocking out noise, even as cacophonous as mariachi music set against the roar of Viva Mexico.
But as the buzz that greeted the images on the giant screens of Canelo warming up with his team echoed through the corridors, the cameras were locked outside of Golovkin’s dressing room for part of his preparation.
Alvarez entered the arena with famous Mexican singer Alejandro Fernandez walking on his shoulder performing patriotic songs, to the delight of the crowd. The scene was well and truly set.
As the fight began, it was Canelo who came out swinging as promised, although the big lefts missed and Golovkin likely came out on top.
Canelo then started going into the second, establishing his own jab and connecting with some powerful right hands as he scored the first round of the fight.
The super-middleweight champion then went on the offensive, including to the body where Team Alvarez believed they had spied a weakness in Triple G’s recent fights.
Canelo really got going in the second round, establishing his jab and connecting with some huge right hands
The champion was by far the busier of the two in the first half of the fight, with GGG struggling to assert any authority
Golovkin rallied in the second half of the fight and made the fight much closer than it could have been at the halfway stage
But in the end it was Canelo’s night once again as an epic rivalry that now sits at 2-0 with the Mexican finally came to an end
Although Golovkin started to apply some pressure of his own, round four was another one that Canelo took. As was the fifth round, with Canelo landing the much heavier shots as he began looking for the promised KO. A body shot sent Triple G tripping back into the ropes.
The tide began to turn as the midway point of the round approached, with Golovkin winning the sixth, the seventh perhaps too close to call. Alvarez then landed a big three-punch combination to seal the eighth, though.
Golovkin finally came out of his shell with four rounds remaining – and had Alvarez rocking with a flurry of lefts and rights from all angles.
The 40-year-old continued to rally as he neared the professional end of the fight, but Canelo saved himself in the 12th with a late flurry.
Relive Sportsmail’s live blog of the undisputed super middleweight clash between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin.
