Gennady Golovkin certainly didn't have it all his own way in his unanimous decision win against Sergiy Derevyanchenko on Saturday but the razor-thin decision sets up the potential of money-spinning third bout with Canelo Alvarez.
Golovkin, who was fighting for the second time since the sole defeat of his professional career to Canelo a little over a year ago, started the fight in robust fashion inside the Madison Square Garden ring, dropping his Ukrainian opponent inside the first round and opening up a cut in round two.
The conventional blueprint for a fight that begins in this fashion for 'GGG' is to extend his points tally into the latter stages of the fight, where a knockout is often waiting. However, if there was a script written prior to this contest then Derevyanchenko certainly wasn't following it.
He retaliated from the fourth round onwards, unleashing a barrage of attacks to Golovkin's body which at one point appeared to have him seriously hurt. He was saved, perhaps, by an unusual intervention from referee Harvey Dock to the considerably audible ire of the Derevyanchenko camp.
Golovkin came back strong in the eighth and offered enough from that point on to merit the decision by a score of 114-113, 115-112, 115-112.
The bout was for the vacant IBF middleweight title, the same championship that Golovkin was stripped of last year for failing to accept a mandatory defense against Derevyanchenko, instead opting to rematch Alvarez after their first bout ended in a draw.
Golovkin, now 37, may just be showing signs of being a battle-worn and absorbed more significant strikes throughout the bout than he has in any previous contest and while it made for a thrilling contest and surefire 'Fight of the Year' contender, the next consideration is that of exactly where 'GGG' goes from here.
The third fight with Canelo – who fights Sergey Kovalev on November 2 – is undoubtedly the most attractive possibility from both a money and legacy standpoint, as a tied series after three fights would be a fitting, if underwhelming, epitaph to both fighters' future Hall of Fame careers.
Of course, we will have to wait and see what happens in Canelo's light heavyweight debut as a victory against Kovalev will mean that there are fighters spanning at least three divisions who will want a crack at him, while Callum Smith is also waiting at 168lbs, but the clock is ticking for Golovkin who is eight years his rival's elder.
Canelo has indicated that he isn't chasing the trilogy match and that the last victory was enough to satisfy his competitive streak, but if he was to entertain once again signing a contract to fight the Kazakh star perhaps Golovkin's performance in the ring in New York City will have tempted him.
