Canelo vs. Smith: A real Champion dares to be great

By Boxing News - 07/17/2016 - Comments

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By Gerardo Granados: Next September 10 and 17 there are three bouts scheduled at three different venues, but from those three, two are correctly billed as world championship title fights and only one is really competitive.

As the reader already knows, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vacated his WBC middleweight belt to avoid fighting against Gennady Golovkin. So instead on September 17, Canelo will move down from 155 pounds to fight against perhaps the weakest 154-pound titlist named Liam “Beefy” Smith (WBO).

“Beefy” Smith, with little to no experience outside the United Kingdom or having experience fighting against the top level of competition, is in my eyes simply tailor-made for Canelo and is the clear underdog. Nevertheless, none of this is Smith’s fault and I don’t mean to disrespect him because I know he will do his best to win.

But please fight fans don’t get mad at Canelo, because his management has promised to fight against Golovkin late in 2017. Yes, there is no contract signed yet but they already promised the fight.

The Diva syndrome spreads fast among the so called big names and now Golovkin chooses to fight against IBF welterweight belt holder Kell Brook next on September 10. I simply don’t see how an unproven welterweight can represent a serious threat to GGG. Not only Brook lacks the tools to trouble Golovkin, be it great speed, mobility, defense and counter-punching ability; but also Brook has never fought in the middleweight division, so it is a mystery to know how his body will react and adapt to the extra poundage.

Call me crazy but if Golovkin somehow doesn’t knock Brook out or if Smith is able to knock Canelo out, yes knock him out because for me there is no way Smith can get the nod by the fight judges, I will take a year off.

The WBC flyweight Champion of the World Roman Chocolatito Gonzalez did what great boxers often do and next September 10 he will challenge WBC super flyweight titlist Carlos Principe Cuadras. Chocolatito will move up in weight to try to become the first Nicaraguan boxer to win four weight division titles, leaving Alexis Arguello behind with three, and also will try to join an elite club of four weight division world champions.

How easy would it had been for the pound for pound number one boxer, to hand pick, a tailor made strawweight belt holder to look great, but instead he did what real champions do to prove to be great and to deserve the praise of the fight fans.

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In a sad era of Divas in which a boxer calls out a fighter right after the last one has already signed to fight another opponent. In an era in which all kind of absurd demands are made to walk out of a deal. In this era of ridiculous inflation that gives Divas an excuse to overprice themselves to avoid a dangerous foe. In this sad era of the so-called big names who now have turned into despicable greedy businessmen.

In this sad times, that is more frequent, to see how belt holders refuse to fight their mandatory challengers by paying step aside agreements and rather opt to vacate the title when the challengers don’t agree to step aside; only a couple of real Champions still keep alive the essence of prizefighting.

Prizefighting essence isn’t about the sweet science, making money, statistical record or collecting belts, it is all about it was in the beginning; it is about two men fighting to prove who the best of them is by beating his opponent into submission. I believe so, but what about the readers, do you agree?