Tuesday 3 October 2017 13:44, UK
The highly-anticipated rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has moved a step closer after the World Boxing Council ordered another clash between the pair.
Golovkin holds the WBC middleweight title as well as the WBA and IBF world championships.
His first fight with Alvarez ended in a controversial draw, despite many observers believing the Kazakhstani boxer had done enough to win.
Of the three ringside judges, only Adalaide Byrd scored the fight in favour of Alvarez (118-110). Her decision to heavily favour the Mexican resulted in her being suspended from high-level contests.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said: "It's the fight that the world wants to see."
Golovkin's Promoter Tom Loeffler is confident his fighter will come through in the rematch, whoever is judging.
"I think you'll see Gennady knowing that he has to win more than eight rounds to get the decision, he'll be even more persistent in the re-match," Loeffler said.
"It doesn't get any better than the fight with Canelo. It really became an international sporting event, instead of a world boxing championship match."
Loeffler says the rematch could happen between March and May of next year - with the likelihood of the fight being on the Cinco de Mayo Mexican holiday.
"Gennady still has all his titles. He's still the World Champion. And this is a fight that the fans want again, so we can have a more definitive ending to the next one. We'll do whatever we can on our side to make it happen," Loeffler added.
"With their styles, their punching power, their speed, with both in the primes of their career, it can only get better."
