By Francisco Gurrola: Recently in my last article titled “Canelo with edge over Cotto,” I clearly described the way the fight would play out; to my surprise, it was quite accurate. It is no science to have the ability to read a fighter for his accomplishments. Looking at what WBC Middleweight Champ Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has accomplished recently it is evident that the young Mexican fighter has earned a spot at the top of boxing today.
Come May 7th, 2016, we will be evidencing a great match up between Amir “King” Khan and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in a fight televised by HBO Championship Boxing at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Khan is known for his great speed and movement inside the ring. Khan can throw great combinations at a fast pace and land accurately. Khan is physically very fit and known to be a great athlete overall. Khan has stated that his plan is not to trade with Canelo knowing that in a trade-off he can end up losing the fight and also getting hurt. Khan has to be very meticulous come May 7th, very precise and with little room for errors. He has tools not many boxers have today, with excellent ring IQ and speed that is hard to match. If Khan can maintain his speed and movement for 12 rounds against a much heavier and aggressive fighter in Canelo, he has a chance of outscoring him at the end and come out victorious; however, it is quite unlikely.
Alvarez, the new PPV king and rising star of boxing, has yet to prove himself against the “A-level” opposition fighters. If there is one thing that Canelo does best is to keep his fans satisfied. Canelo has been doubted ever since he turned pro. He has had some controversial wins just like many other boxers in the world; ex. Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. A lot of people remember Mayweather’s fights against Jose Luis Castillo, Oscar De la Hoya, Zab Judah, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto…etc. Canelo has become a more complete fighter and has proved to many that he can fight. Canelo complies with the rules in weight whether some critics label them as “handicap” but they tend to ignore the efforts it must take to achieve the incredible weight changes without affecting his ability to box. He possesses great speed for a middle-weight and dangerous combinations. If Canelo can manage to close the gaps on Khan and lands some powerful shots to the body and upstairs, he can seriously injure the weak chinned Khan.
Khan has been knocked down before in his boxing career. Canelo has yet to visit the canvas. Khan is getting into the ring with a younger, stronger and heavier World Champion; it is not my intent to overlook Amir Khan, but this will not be an easy match up. Khan cannot expect the same Canelo that fought Mayweather back in 2013. Canelo had to drain down to 152lbs as agreed and was less experienced than he is now. He has fought good opposition in Erislandy Lara and Cotto and has improved in many aspects. Canelo is a known as a “flat-footed” fighter. however, he has learned to use more hip and head movement to slip punches, and continues to improve his hand combinations.
We can expect a fight with lots of movement, lots of grabbing and interruptions. However, I give the edge to Canelo for being the more experienced, better puncher and for being on a natural weight class over Khan, who is coming up in weight and has not yet felt the power of a real middleweight fighter. If Khan has been dropped before by lower weight divisions, it is only logically correct to expect the same to happen with a heavier and stronger puncher at a different weight class. Any fight is good for the experience, however I do not see this fight as preparation for the money fight/war against the champ GGG-that is a different story and I will reserve myself from commenting on it until it is signed.
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