The Different One

CANELO ALVAREZ DEMONSTRATED EARLY AND OFTEN THAT HE WAS NO ORDINARY FIGHTER

Once he rode the bus to work. Now he arrives in private planes and Cadillac Escalades. In 10 years, much has changed for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez but one thing has not: Rich or poor, he has always remained a fighter.

The Quiet Man

by Brian Harty

GENNADY GOLOVKIN IS A RETICENT, PEACEFUL PERSON. ‘GGG’ IS ANOTHER MATTER ENTIRELY.

The Summit Gym is in a piney mountain neighborhood with streets named after unremarkable birds (Thrush, Wren). Still, you expect you’ll know it when you see it. And then you will drive past it. Probably more than once. The most combative thing about the white duplex with the spacious driveway is the “No trespassing” sign at the edge of the property.

Separate Paths

by Doug Fischer

FIGHTERS WHO LEARN THE ROPES IN THE AMATEUR RANKS (GGG) OR AS YOUNG PROS (CANELO) CAN REACH THE SAME HEIGHTS

Vasyl Lomachenko’s legendary amateur credentials earned him a title shot in only his second professional bout, in 2014. He lost that fight to Orlando Salido, a less talented, less skilled fighter with no amateur background to speak of.

Middle Ground

by Tom Gray

THE RING RANKS ITS MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS 1-31

Over the past 84 years, THE RING has crowned 31 champions at middleweight. Some have been more successful than others in terms of opposition faced and longevity. Some have had single standout victories. Six fighters have won our middleweight championship more than once.

Fights of Fantasy

by Tom Gray

THREE EXPERTS – A FIGHTER, A TRAINER AND A MEDIA MEMBER – TELL YOU HOW A MYTHICAL MATCHUP WOULD PLAY OUT. THIS MONTH:

ANDRE WARD VS. ADONIS STEVENSON

Will opposites attack?

Andre Ward, the RING, IBF, WBA and WBO light heavyweight champion, is a god-fearing man, wholesome in every way, and an ambassador for the sport of boxing. Adonis Stevenson, the WBC titleholder, is a former pimp and ex-convict, Ward’s complete antithesis.