By Dan Ambrose: Trainer Robert Garcia was critical of Canelo Alvarez reportedly asking Badou Jack to come down 20 lbs to fight him for his WBC cruiserweight title at a catchweight of 180 lbs.
Robert asks why Canelo would want Badou to come down 20 lbs and still fight for his WBC cruiserweight title. The answer would appear to be simple. Canelo wants to increase his chances of unseating the WBC champ Jack (28-3-3, 17 KOs) to become a five-division world champion.
Four years ago, Canelo picked then-WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev to capture his fourth division world title.
The other two champs at 175 at the time were Artur Beterbiev & Dmitry Bivol, which suggests Canelo was shrewd in his selection process to assist in winning his 4th division strap.
With the cruiserweight limit of 200 lbs, Canelo (59-2-2, 39 KOs) asked for a tremendous weight handicap.
According to Badou, Canelo also wanted a rehydration clause and the 180-lb catchweight.
“I read a couple of days ago that he wanted to make the fight at 20 lbs underneath the weight limit because then you’re not fighting at cruiserweight,” said Robert Garcia to ESNEWS about Canelo Alvarez wanting a 180-lb catchweight to fight Badou Jack for his WBC cruiserweight title.
“If he’s going to be fighting in a different weight class. You know the weight limit is 190. Why would you want to bring him down to light heavyweight [175] and then have a dehydration clause? That’s what Badou Jack said. I don’t know if it’s true. Maybe Badou Jack just made it up. I don’t know.
“If you’re a fighter that wants to take that chance, moving up in weight to make history, then don’t ask for him to go down 20 lbs. I guess right now; you have the right to do it, I guess. Tank did it to Ryan.
“Yes, you are fighting a cruiserweight champion. That right there. Then don’t fight a cruiserweight. I’m talking Canelo. Canelo is probably the best Mexican ever that we know. His accomplishments are, yes. The love from the fans, no. The love from the Mexicans, no.
“He’s never going to become the superstar that Chavez is, ” said Robert responding to being told by the interviewer that people say Canelo is greater than Julio Cesar Chavez.
“He’s very popular, but he’s never going to surpass the love that fans have. But business-wise, accomplishments, yes. He’s already done more than any other Mexican has done,” Robert said about Canelo.
