THERE’S a fight the world wants to see more than any other, between knockout machines Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin.

But yet again, boxing is not delivering.

Mexican superstar Canelo stands accused of ducking Golovkin, having vacated his WBC middleweight world title belt in May and handing it to GGG rather than taking a defence against the Kazakh destroyer; then, opting to fight England’s WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith (September 17, US time).

The next fight for a frustrated Golovkin is against IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook (September 10, UK time), with GGG already discussing his next move.

Here are some of the main issues amid the Canelo-GGG impasse, featuring some of modern boxing’s top themes: Big money, squabbles over fractions of weight, jumping between four recognised world titles and bold yet hollow promises.

Canelo Alvarez (L) battles with Amir Khan. Source: AFP

CANELO WANTS TO DO A MAYWEATHER: MORE MONEY, BETTER CHANCE

Just as Floyd Mayweather kept putting off the Manny Pacquiao fight, until it grew into an unprecedented colossus that grossed about $600 million, Canelo, 26, is waiting for the hype to build into a bigger payday before he takes on Golovkin, 34.

That’s according to a fight promoter of 67 years, Don Chargin, who has acted as a consultant for Canelo’s promoter Golden Boy (run by legend Oscar De La Hoya).

“They always talk about Mexico’s boxing idols not ending up with money. I really think that’s part of it — that he knows by fighting [Golovkin] next year it’s going to be worth a couple million dollars more,” Chagrin told the LA Times, also suggesting Canelo was waiting to get stronger as his older rival waned.

“The people writing that he should take [the Golovkin fight now], they don’t care. They’re the first people to say those dumb fighters can’t hold onto their money.

“This is the best thing [Alvarez] could’ve done for a couple reasons: By the time this fight happens, he’ll have a good chance of winning. He’ll figure it out more and Golovkin will be [older] by that time.”

In the same LA Times piece, Canelo simply said the fight will happen “when the time is right”.

Incidentally, with the Mayweather analogy, Floyd remains the only loss on Canelo’s record of 47-1-1 (33 KOs). Golovkin owns a terrifying 35-0-0 (32 KOs) record, with 22 knockouts in a row - the clear reason few rivals want to fight him.

Canelo Alvarez (R) delivers the knockout punch to Amir Khan in his last fight. Source: Getty Images

WEIGHT - LESS THAN 3KG - HAS BEEN USED AS AN EXCUSE

Canelo has fought much of his career at welterweight and junior middleweight.

Even when he won the vacant WBC middleweight title, he did so at a 155-pound catchweight against Miguel Cotto, before fighting at the same weight in a defence of his belt against Amir Khan (who himself moved up two weight classes for the fight).

Golovkin is a classic middleweight who fights at 160 pounds (about 72.6kg). Canelo has predicted a move to that weight after his fight against Smith.

De La Hoya said Canelo was not yet ready to fight Golovkin, even though the weight discrepancy equates to only about 2.7kg.

“Canelo knows his body. His trainers know his body and the bottom line is, Canelo is a 154-pound fighter,” De La Hoya said.

“The fact that he fought at 155, people expect him to go up and fight at middleweight, and that’s not the case. He’s a 154-pounder and he’s going to go up to 160 when his body feels ready.

“He has always fought the very best and fighting a Golovkin is going to be no exception. He’s going to fight him but when he’s ready to move up to 160.”

This reasoning has rung hollow, as Canelo looks bigger than he ever has and is believed to have made brutal weight cuts to fight at 154 or lower. He is thought to walk into the ring much heavier and has himself admitted he would be more comfortable in a higher weight class.

“We are thinking this is probably the last fight at 154lbs. But right now, we are only thinking of this fight,” Canelo told FightHype.com. “I feel comfortable and feel I make the weight good but I think I will feel much more comfortable moving up in weight class.”

Gennady Golovkin knocks down Dominic Wade during his 22nd straight KO last fight. Source: AFP

CANELO IS WEARING SERIOUS HEAT FOR DODGING GGG

Though he’s arguably boxing’s brightest star and the face of the sport since Mayweather’s retirement, Canelo is starting to cop genuine criticism for not facing Golovkin.

An excitement machine in the Mexican tradition, Canelo is even being accused of ducking GGG by his current opponent Smith and UFC megastar Conor McGregor.

Smith said in a Reddit Ask Me Anything: “[Canelo] ducked him [Golovkin] massively. He went the wrong way about it. He’s being criticised a lot and losing a lot of fans about the way he did it.

“If he was open and honest about it, people would have understood. If he said, ‘Look, at the moment I’m not 160. GGG wouldn’t come down’. If he said, ‘Look I’ll fight you in 12 months’ time, I’m going to build myself to 160’, he’d have bought himself grace.

“The way he went about it after the fight with [Khan], he got GGG in the ring and said he’d put the gloves back on. Then after the fight he said the thing about his balls, he built the fans up about fighting him next and then he gave the belt up. I just think he went about it the wrong way.”

McGregor, who just beat Nate Diaz at UFC 202 fighting 12kg above his usual featherweight, branded Canelo a “cherry-picking” fighter in an LA Times interview. Canelo responded:

Canelo got a bit fired up when told @TheNotoriousMMA referred to him as cherry picker. He chimed back Conor "gasses out after two rounds." — Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) August 24, 2016

Yet boxing pundits are also getting testy:

What a joke these interviews were today. Canelo and his team had so many excuses for not facing Golovkin. It was unbearable to listen to. — Gabriel Gonzalez (@GabeJGonzalez) August 25, 2016

Canelo has brought up the possibility of fighting Manny Pacquiao, while it has also been reported that he may seek a fight against WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders once he moves up to the proper 160 limit.

While that would bring more accusations of ducking Golovkin, it would potentially set up a unification bout. If Canelo took the WBO belt, he would hold the only title that WBA, WBC and IBF champion Golovkin does not possess.

While pressing Oscar on Canelo being perhaps willing to fight Billy Joe Saunders next and not Gennady Golovkin, Golden Boy cut me off. — David Greisman (@fightingwords2) August 24, 2016

AS ALWAYS, GOLOVKIN IS LEFT TO BIDE HIS TIME

When you put 22 opponents in a row to sleep, very few people seriously want to fight you.

That’s been Golovkin’s lot for some time now, thanks to his outrageous power.

Despite the fight against Brook looming, he is stewing over the Canelo situation and openly calling out Saunders.

“Billy Joe Saunders [next fight] because he’s WBO champion,” GGG told Behind The Gloves.

“For me, it doesn’t matter; Chris Eubank or Billy Joe Saunders, I need belt. Right now, my focus is Kell Brook, and next, I need belt. He’s a good boxer [Brook]. I will bring a new style. A little bit changed, maybe for speed, for moving.”

He has ripped his current crop of rivals for often talking about him but never stepping up to fight.

“There’s just too much talking about fighting me, Canelo, Eubank, Saunders, [Carl] Froch they are acting like clowns with no respect for the sport,” Golovkin said.

“I’m here now, sign the contract and fight me, any of them, doesn’t matter which one. I want to unify the middleweight division titles but I don’t know if Billy Joe Saunders will fight me.”

Gennady Golovkin after a second round TKO of Dominic Wade in his last fight. Source: Getty Images

Empty words are a bit part of the reason why Canelo is wearing heat for not fighting GGG.

After beating Khan, he called Golovkin into the ring to promote their supposedly imminent fight, declaring: “Let’s fight now.”

After vacating the WBC belt rather than face GGG, he said in a statement: “After much consideration, today, I instructed my team at Golden Boy Promotions to continue negotiating a fight with Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and to finalise a deal as quickly as possible.

“I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title. For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man. Never has that been more true than today. I will fight ‘GGG,’ and I will beat ‘GGG’ but I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines.

“I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and ‘GGG’ and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see.”

Fans are still waiting for that fight.