Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Every adversity, every
failure, every heartache carries with it the seed on an equal or great
benefit.” After the abysmal performance by the now 23 year old Saul “Canelo”
Alvarez against Floyd Mayweather jr. Canelo sought redemption by fighting “El
Perro” Angulo due to Angulo’s shameful non-performance Canelo won by a ten
round TKO. That was not even the case but the fact that Canelo didn’t even make
154 lbs. and ended up paying Angulo a substantial amount of money for an extra pound, and the
fight was at the weight limit of 155 lbs. Making Canelo a Middleweight.
Redemption is an act of redeeming or atoning for a fault or
mistake; deliverance from sin; salvation. I can’t fault Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
for being accused by many fans for being a creation, but he is a product of the
boxing industry. An industry that is looking for the next Mexican boxing star
in the Jr. Middleweight division that can become cross over to the USA and
world mainstream sports market just like Oscar De La Hoya once did.
If Canelo was seeking
some kind redemption in the eyes of the boxing fans the opposite effect occurred
that resulted in the fans at the Angulo fight throwing objects at him and his
team, then you had a network announcer and boxing great suspecting Angulo was
bought and paid for, and many fans validating their common suspicion that
Canelo is a network creation and investment.
Canelo was built up by winning the vacant WBC Light
Middleweight title against an unranked 148 lbs. Matthew Hatton. The fans ate it all. Then he had five
successful defenses vs. Ryan Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez, Kermit Cintron, Shane
Mosley, and Josesito Lopez. As a result, of the lesser opposition the fan base
demanded and pressured the network and promoters that he fights a legit Jr.
Middleweight. So, he faced Austin Trout coming off a victory over Miguel Cotto.
In 2013 Canelo faced Austin Trout at the
Alamodome, in San Antonio for the WBC & WBA Light Middleweight title.
Resulting in a victory for Canelo and quickly he was thrown in against Floyd
Mayweather jr. at a catch weight.
Now, we have Canelo still looking for redemption by fighting
at a 155 lbs. catch weight the crafty and elusive 31 year old Cuban southpaw
Erislandy Lara 19-1-2 (12KO) and the current WBA World Light Middleweight
Champion. The majority of Canelo fans strongly believe just because Lara was
dropped by Angulo two times in their fight that Canelo will do the same, and will
KO Lara. Many of these fans forget that Lara won the Angulo fight by TKO and
then face Trout resulting in the Cuban giving yet another boxing lesson. They
dismiss that fact that Lara’s amateur pedigree was among the best for what was
then his weight class of welterweight, and they also disrespect the fact that
he’s a product of the Cuban boxing school. They fail to recognize that Angulo
was or is a pressure boxer with dangerous punching power, on the other hand,
Canelo lacks that one punch KO power, he lacks stamina after the six rounds,
and he’s not a pressure boxer. He fancies himself a boxer-puncher and stylist
very uncommon for a Mexican boxer at the 154-160 division. His team seems to
embrace the belief that Canelo is a boxer-puncher / boxing stylist.
Lara with a 75” reach, foot work, and power has the
abilities and tools to box circle around a flat footed Canelo, and break down
his stamina for a late round TKO stoppage. I don’t see many exchanges in this
fight or a Lara standing still become a target for Canelo’s repetitive punch
combinations. I can see Canelo playing the boxer-puncher and trying to counter
and Lara just boxing. Wouldn’t be surprised that not many sparks and punches
will be thrown and you’ll have a Canelo winning a controversial decision on
what the fans will call a bore fest. A boxer like Canelo is an investment to
defeat him the opponent must KO him or hurt him multiple times, in my opinion, if they desire to win or obtain a decision from the judges.
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