If Canelo Alvarez defeats Gennady Golovkin, bizarre controversy could emerge

Martin Rogers | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin preview USA TODAY Sports' Martin Rogers previews the Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin boxing match.

LAS VEGAS — A bizarre controversy may be poised to erupt following Saturday’s blockbuster middleweight world title fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.

Alvarez remains in dispute with the World Boxing Council, the organization in which he won his first world title. He returned the WBC middleweight belt last year during the time he was still stalling on fighting Golovkin, the undefeated big puncher from Kazakhstan.

The two parties have been at loggerheads ever since, yet WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman is prepared to stoke up the situation by entering the ring on Saturday night if Alvarez wins, and attempting to present him with the belt.

“Yes, I am going in there,” Sulaiman said. “And we will see what happens. I hope he accepts it.”

There is every chance, however, that Alvarez won’t. The Mexican has made it clear he wants nothing to do with the WBC, which is based in Mexico City and is considered to be the most significant of boxing’s myriad sanctioning bodies.

Golovkin currently holds the WBC, WBA and IBF straps, and in theory is defending all three on fight night. In reality, though, it is likely Alvarez would accept only the WBA and IBF titles.

The issue sprung up when the WBC grew tired of Alvarez continuing to sidestep Golovkin, despite making a series of concessions to him. Alvarez, for his part, felt the WBC was attempting to exert undue pressure.

Sulaiman has had a specially-designed title belt made for this fight, with the flags of Mexico and Kazakhstan embedded into the structure.