(LAS VEGAS) “The wait is over. The wait is over Th – Th- The wait is–“. Rihanna’s voice and lyrics from 2010’s epic song on “Rated R” feels like its bouncing all over the Vegas strip before we ride past the brand new T-Mobile Arena, site of tonight’s WBC middleweight championship fight between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan.
They’ve weighed in accordingly- (in what was a fairly electrifying scene), and did all the things necessary to arouse attention (USA Today had a big piece on Canelo in its weekend edition), so as Pierce Brosnan very directly told us as James Bond’s “007” in “GoldenEye”, its time for the new Golden Boy and Khan to just get it on.
This is a critical time for the sport of boxing, as a time of change has ushered in a new era of stars lead by Alvarez. On the horizon seated ringside will be Gennady “GGG” Golovkin to witness the coronation of Canelo as a top attraction this Cinco de Mayo, with grand hopes of his own. But incredibly (and arrogantly), Canelo has already told GGG to fall back and wait his turn – this before whopping Khan’s ass; in a testament to an understated brash quality he carries around, along with a pair of brass in his shorts you probably like in a fighter.
It is also why the calm and cool cinnamon-flavored tough guy has already become a legend, and fights like tonight’s with Amir Khan is designed to expand it.
This is also the type of attraction that will make the matinee idol looking Alvarez even more attractive to his legion of female fans, with the added bonus that it’ll happen in front of 1000’s new one’s when we throw in Khan’s posse of manic Brits. It should all add up to an action fight and a blockbuster that rivals “Captain America: Civil War” in sheer entertainment (see it, that movie is ridiculously good).
Oscar De La Hoya deserves a lot of credit for this one – while simultaneously turning his life around and that of Golden Boy Promotions – which was starting to slip away from him and relevance. The former PPV superstar and icon in his own right will be on hand tonight to support his fighter in this very important bout (unlike his infamous no-show for Mayweather/Canelo due to rehab).
In matching Canelo with Khan, boxing’s brightest star will score a huge KO over another good looking and popular generational star, before a new generation of fans. It doesn’t matter that he’s not really the WBC middleweight champion he’s supposed to be, or, that he’s fighting a Khan that’s, (well..) a con. The hardcore fight fan knows that if Khan struggled with Chris Algieri (who isn’t known for aggression, and was last seen outlined in chalk by Errol Spence Jr.), then he’s in a world of trouble with what will be an even better version of Canelo than the one who damn near committed a crime in savagely stopping James Kirkland.
It should be totally understood that Canelo ran rough shod over a very real and solid super welterweight in Kirkland, and there’s no way Khan can become that in one fight- even with an all-world trainer like Virgil Hunter in his corner. Its been a little stormy in Vegas these past few days and the forecast calls for heavy rain tonight, and from this point of view, it’ll be raining inside T-Mobile Arena as well in the form of blows. I can’t envision a way Khan can endure the storm of Canelo for 12 rounds of middleweight punishment. If it goes past 9 rounds I’ll be very surprised.
The whole card is hot, as we’ll see David Lemieux back in action after being mugged by GGG. He’ll more than likely pound a tough Glen Tapia from Jersey. We’ve got Brooklyn’s own Curtis Stevens- who’ll serve as hardcore gatekeeper to ——. and late blooming star Frankie Gomez against crafty Mauricio Herrera. Rising sensation Oscar — going up against —- ain’t bad either, in a solid showcase of matchmaking by Golden Boy.
The outcome of this fight will probably have a very positive effect on the sport in a major way, despite what is likely to take place some 15 days or so from now (if the WBC is serious). Canelo is not going to fight GGG anytime soon, essentially ignoring an edict by the governing body. A very possible result of this could produce Floyd Mayweather – who in pursuit of glory and an historic 50th win – vs. GGG in 2017 for what would be Golovkin’s undisputed middleweight championship at a catch weight we’d all understand. That fight would serve as an encore of sorts to a fall superfight between Canelo and Manny Pacquiao.
Not only are both HBO fighters, but it’s the kind of fight that T-Mobile Arena was built for (at an estimated cost of nearly 400 million). Don’t think for a minute that De La Hoya wouldn’t relish an opportunity to exact a little revenge on Pacquiao for brutally mauling him into retirement back in December 2008.
