By Sean Jones: Abel Sanchez thinks Saul Canelo Alvarez is acting like he’s too good to help promote the September 15th rematch with Gennady Golovkin with his decision not to take part in face offs programs and news conference to announce the fight. Sanchez says Canelo (49-1-2, 34 KOs) says he’s robbing the fans by preventing them from being able to see him and Golovkin face each other in the press conferences.
Golovkin and Sanchez are going to need to be more proactive in selling the September 15 rematch with Canelo to make it a huge success like the first fight last September at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. There’s a lot of boxing
“Many fans, especially the Latins and bettors, look at the guys together and say, ‘You see how that one’s flinching, how he’s scared?’ Certain fans want to see that, and it robs them of that opportunity to see that … just because Canelo’s still acting like a diva and saying, ‘I’m bigger than that,” Sanchez said via the latimes.com.
If it’s true what Golovkin says about Canelo not wanting to take part in these programs because he’s afraid to look him in the eyes after testing positive twice for clenbuterol last February, then it explains a lot about why he’s not interested in taking part in the shows. Sanchez states that Canelo is “robbing the fans” by not taking part in the face offs with GGG at the news conferences.
There’s a real chance that Canelo-GGG rematch can make a lot more money than the first fight, which drew 1.3 million buys with a $27 million gate. That fight was hurt by the expensive Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor fight that took place two weeks ahead of it and solid for $100 per household. A lot of the boxing fans were tapped out by the time the Canelo vs. Golovkin fight took place. As much as the fans wanted to see that fight, they weren’t able to order both of them. Since the Mayweather-McGregor fight came first, many fans ordered that for $100 on PPV, and held off in ordering the Canelo-GGG fight. That was a lot of lost revenue for that fight. With no competition to speak of for the Canelo vs. Golovkin 2 rematch, it should do a lot better numbers. Of course, it might not do better numbers if Canelo is not going to help out with the promotion of the event.
Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler doesn’t seem too bothered by the possibility that Canelo won’t help out with the promotion of the fight.
”We can’t control where [Alvarez] is going to train or how he’s going to fight and how they promote the fight is up to them,” Golovkin’s promoter Tom Loeffler said. “We can’t focus on what Canelo and Golden Boy is going to do. We’ll try to make the best out of the promotion.”
Loeffler might have a change of heart if Canelo isn’t pulling his weight when it comes to helping to market the fight. If nothing else, Canelo and Sanchez need to trash talk each other because the interaction between the two during the LA Live press conference was priceless.