By Dan Ambrose: Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is trying to stay on the fence for this Saturday’s Showtime pay-per-view bout between former WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KO’s) and Alfredo Angulo (22-3, 18 KO’s) at the MGM Grand in las Vegas, Nevada. Schaefer promotes both fighters, but he probably realizes that it might not be a good thing for him to side with the red-headed Canelo in this fight in case Angulo pulls off a mini upset and beats him on Saturday.
It wouldn’t be a huge upset, because we’ve already seen Canelo go life and death with Austin Trout last year, and almost get knocked out by little Jose Miguel Cotto in the past. Angulo hits a lot harder than both of those guys, so it’s highly possible that he could win on Saturday night, especially if he gets Canelo into the deeper rounds of the fight where his stamina problems may surface.
“It only takes one punch to change an outcome of a fight, and Alfredo Angulo has the game changer, meaning an iron fist with a hard punch,” Schaefer said. “If Angulo were to beat Canelo, could you imagine the impact that he has for him? He would become the new Canelo in Mexico.”
Angulo the new Canelo? I don’t think so. Angulo could probably beat Canelo a 100 times, and Canelo would remain the much more popular fighter of the two permanently. I believe the biggest part of what makes Canelo popular in Mexico is his red hair. He’s so different from the other fighters that fight there that it’s like a gimmick that he has going for him. I don’t think Angulo will be able to get the popularity that Canelo has because he’s a celebrity based on how he looks rather than what he’s accomplished in the ring. Canelo was already popular when he was 22-0, whereas Angulo was almost invisible when he had a record of 15-0. Angulo’s fighting style was just an exciting as Canelo’s, but he didn’t have that gimmick going for him.
There’s a very good chance that Angulo will win this fight on Saturday night if he puts the pressure on Antonio Margarito like pressure on Canelo for 12 rounds. Angulo has to force Canelo to fight hard for the entire three minutes of every round, and not let him sit on the ropes to get his customary rest breaks.
Canelo really is little more than a 4 round fighter, because he gasses out quickly after 4 rounds and starts fighting at a slow pace. If his opponent accommodates him by letting him fight in a slow manner, Canelo can hang around and look somewhat busy for 12 rounds. But if he you push Canelo, force him to fight hard, and not let him take his rest breaks against the ropes, you’ll see Canelo turn red in the face and overheat like an old car going up a steep hill on a blazing hot Summer day. Angulo’s best chance of winning is forcing a fast past on the stamina-plagued Canelo.
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