THE biggest attraction in world boxing, Canelo Alvarez, puts his legacy on the line once more when he finally returns for a third fight with his keenest adversary, Gennady Golovkin, this weekend.

Pugilism’s premier double act returns to the scene of the crime, Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, and are forever intwined as boxing’s foremost rivals of this era.

Mexican Alvarez is undefeated in two fights against his Kazakhstan foe. But that simple stat doesn’t tell half the story.

Their first fight, exactly five years ago today (Sept 16th 2017), was ruled a draw after providing one of the most controversial judge’s scores in boxing.

A close encounter, yet one viewed by most as being won by GGG; one judge scored the fight for Golovkin and another a draw. But Adalaide Byrd became synonymous with controversy by awarding Canelo victory by 10 rounds to two (118-110).

The rematch swung around exactly a year later, but after allowing himself to be pressed backwards and outworked by in their first fight, Canelo went on the front foot showing huge improvements to take a majority points decision.

However, those scorecards too have been heavily debated since. Just like the first fight, one judge scored it a draw, but in 2018 both the others had Alvarez winning by 115-113 – seven rounds to five.

This third fight then is long overdue in the minds of fans, who still to this day debate whether Golovkin was denied of victory not just once but twice.

Since that second fight Golovkin (42-1-1) has continued as the marquee name in the middleweight division. He’s only had four fights in four years though, and now aged 40 that’s either going to be a blessing or a curse come the early hours of Sunday morning.

Canelo hasn’t looked back once in the last four years. He moved up to super-middle, picked off all four world champions to unify the division, and even had time for a couple of world title fights at light-heavyweight too.

Still only 32, his 57-2-2 record includes world title reigns in four weight classes. He’s already an all-time great. Yet his controversial rivalry with Golovkin likely eats away at him most. Fans still ask; who is the better fighter?

That’s why we are getting this third fight. Alvarez is in legacy mode and he wants to show the world that both previous results, however contentious, were ultimately accurate.

The fight being for all of Canelo’s super-middleweight belts adds extra intrigue. Golovkin has been a middleweight since his amateur days so will the extra eight pounds slow him down or give him a new lease of life?

Alvarez most recently just fought – and lost – up at 175lb too. Jumping up and down weight classes doesn’t usually end well. Is he now burning through muscle to make 168, or is it his optimum weight class these days?

With eight years youth on his side and all the belts around his waist, defending champion Alvarez will start as favourite. But after being convincingly outboxed by Dmitry Bivol in November, he’ll need to start fast to exorcise those demons.

And despite scoring a quality ninth-round TKO over Japan’s Ryota Murata in April, GGG did start that fight slowly after 14 months inactivity, requiring a couple of rounds to really get going. Rounds he can ill afford to surrender here.

If boxing was a fair a just pursuit, then Golovkin would finally be awarded the victory he’s undoubtedly deserved in the past. But it ain’t. And he won’t.

Like in the second fight, Canelo will go on the offence from the start, rip into Golovkin’s body and look to put enough in the bank early on too slow his old rival down enough to run away with the second half of the fight.

It will be close again, no doubt. But this time when the scores are read out in favour of the Mexican there won’t be any controversy attached.

TIP: Alvarez on Points (evens)