Eight months should be more than enough time for Canelo to regain the mobility upon which his boxing depends?
Former WBC/WBA junior middleweight champion Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) has pulled out of his December 6 fight at the Alamodome against former IBF welterweight champion Joshua Clottey (38-4, 22 KOs), citing an ankle injury that would have hampered his mobility.
According to his promoter, Golden Boy Promotions? Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo has been struggling with a slow-to-heal muscle strain he experience while chasing Erislandy Lara three months ago. Nothing is broken. Nothing is torn. But whatever it is that is troubling Canelo, the two months until the fight with Clottey is too little time to heal.
?He has, like, a muscle strain,? De La Hoya told ESPN.com. ?We never officially announced the December 6th fight, and now we have to regroup in the next few days or the next few weeks and see what we?re going to do, but we will pursue what Canelo has wanted, and that is to fight on Cinco de Mayo. Going right to a Cotto fight is a big possibility. I hear in Canelo?s voice the enthusiasm about fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend.?
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported that ?Oscar De La Hoya, at a media roundtable at HBO, confirms that it will be Canelo Alvarez-Joshua Clottey in December.? But why pick nits? The most important thing is that all is not lost, unless your name happens to be Joshua Clottey, who had this to say about the cancellation:
?Okay, now I understand I am too big of risk?These guys always find excuse not to fight with me?They offer me less money than I wish. I say okay lets fight. They say Texas. Whatever lets go?My manager tell me Joshua something big happening. We get a big name. When I hear Canelo I was shocked and we tried to fight before but he took other option. I said if he fights a guy like me he is a man I respect him. Now I not respect him he not want me like I expect?I am a lion from Ghana and if they give him to me I would beat him. I want to fight with Lara who beat you too?Every time I fight I fight for Africa so whoever my opponent be its all for you Africa I love my people. They can?t blacklist me I am coming.?
Cinco de Mayo weekend is fast approaching, at which time Canelo will meet Miguel Cotto. It?s a big fight, a big pay-per-view fight, presumably the biggest fight in boxing at the moment, and it?s only eight months away, which should be more than enough time for Canelo to regain the mobility upon which his boxing depends.
