Gareth A Davies's fight breakdown.

Styles

Canelo: Great jab, superb aggressive counter-puncher at close quarters. Great left hook to the body and left to the liver. The liver shot is a fight- ending punch. Terrific short puncher, stocky and full of combinations.

GGG: As his record suggests - 33 KOs from 37 victories - Golovkin is a ruthless, uncompromising, destructive puncher, whose attacks are set up behind a ramrod push jab, stalking opponents and pushing them against the ropes.

Strengths

Canelo: Sways from the waist to avoid punches, fearsome combination puncher, and a finisher. Left hook to the liver and uppercuts could be key for him.

Golovkin: Freakish power with the overhand right hand, coming off his jab. Brilliant left hook to the body. Great chin, which he also protects brilliantly, by turning his left shoulder with precise timing.

Weaknesses

Canelo: First fight at middleweight and facing the hardest punching opponent of his career. A tendency, at times, to tire in the later rounds; willingness to take punches to land his own. Very dangerous in this contest.

GGG: Age. Father Time comes at some point, and eight years older than the Mexican, it could be a factor in this fight. There were signs against Danny Jacobs in January that he may be past his peak. 'Canelo' will be considered the 'home' fighter.

Keys to victory

Canelo: Must get Golovkin's respect early in the fight, and show capacity to repel or slip Golovkin's jab and back him down. Must start fast.

Golovkin: Keeping his great balance, employing the jab early, and attacking Canelo's body with the left hook. Patience and steady pressure. The later rounds from six onwards could be his time to excel.

Why it is a legacy fight

There are 88 fights between them, 37 KOs, and just one defeat. In my lists, Golovkin is No 2 and Canelo No 5 in boxing's current pound for pound list. Andre Ward, the light-heavyweight, is my No 1.

Middleweight is the classic weight division, which typically combines speed and power by its exponents at the 160lb weight limit. It includes some of the greatest names in the history of boxing with a lineage that includes Sugar Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins.

Verdict

It's a 50/50 fight, If Golovkin begins to win the exchanges, the Kazakh could stop a tiring Mexican in the late rounds. I suspect it will be a cagey first 2/3 rounds before the skirmishes begin. With youth on his side, and being the naturally faster starter and greater volume puncher, Alvarez can get ahead in the contest and if he stands the course of 12 rounds, Canelo will win by a narrow majority decision on the judges' cards.