We’ve seen many examples of both scenarios in the squared circle throughout the sport’s rich history. (Images courtesy of Showtime)
On Saturday, September 14th, Floyd Mayweather vs Saul Alvarez will take place and the fighter most affectionately known as “Canelo” will get his opportunity to show the world how he handles the pressure of competing on the biggest stage of boxing.
Most of Canelo’s fans believe that he is the fighter who will finally serve Floyd Mayweather Jr. his first professional loss. His ever-growing legion of supporters has many reasons to feel optimistic leading into the biggest fight of his young career.
Although the 23 year old pugilist has never faced the caliber of opposition he will meet in the ring this Saturday night, he has shown the kind of poise and maturity it takes to become a universally recognized world champion in his most recent impressive victory.
On April 20th of this year, Canelo faced another undefeated boxer puncher in front of 40,000 rabid fight fans at the world renowned Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. His opponent was former WBA Junior Middleweight Champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout. Because of Austin’s evasive and fleet-footed counterpunching style, many insiders felt that this was a fight Canelo could not win.
But after showing an impressive combination of slick, defensive ability and clean, effective punching, it was Alvarez who eventually had his arm raised in victory. Many skeptics and cynics became believers in Alvarez that night.
Up until that point, most of Canelo’s detractors felt that he was merely a product of careful matchmaking. After handing the previously undefeated southpaw from Las Cruces, New Mexico, his first loss as professional, the harshest critics of the sport began to take the young fighter from Guadalajara, Jalisco, seriously.
One of the variables that have impressed most ringside experts is Canelo’s seemingly unshakable resolve. The hard punching Mexican fighter is ostensibly impervious to the burden of pressure…at least to the demands that have been dealt to the young fighter thus far.
But most great fighters of boxing’s past insist that the tension and stress of competing at the elite level is an entirely different facet of the fight game.
When facing a chess master like Floyd Mayweather Jr, the adversity begins long before a fighter ever steps foot inside the squared circle.
To make the biggest fight of 2013 a stark reality, Canelo and Mayweather agreed to fight at a catchweight of 152 pounds…even though Canelo’s Junior Middleweight titles will be on the line this Saturday night.
So with the added strain that comes with facing the best fighter in boxing, Canelo has also willingly accepted the burden of dropping an additional two pounds during the week of the fight.
Floyd realizes how daunting the task of dropping an additional two pounds can be for a naturally strong fighter who walks around at 175 pounds between fights, and has already started to ridicule the young fighter publicly.
“While Canelo is still running around in a rubber suit the week of the fight, I’m going to be eating pizza tonight,” Floyd Mayweather recently told numerous reporters in Las Vegas. “I’m just calm and relaxed the week of the fight while he still has to sweat.”
“On September 14th, it’s just another stepping stone…he’s just another opponent for me. But he’s facing Floyd Mayweather, and I’m just facing another opponent. I don’t take any fighter seriously”
“If his game plan is to bring pressure, I can handle it. If his game plan is to box, nobody can outbox me. You have to be able to outmatch me mentally, and I’m the strongest mental fighter in the sport of boxing.”
The calm, cool, and collected young fighter simply smiles and responds accordingly.
“He knows it’s going to be a tough fight,” claims Saul Alvarez. “That’s why he talks and acts like he does. He can say whatever he wants, but he knows the truth. Everyone will know the truth on September 14th.”
Most boxing insiders and odds makers believe the hard punching Alvarez.
Floyd Mayweather, although the clear favorite going into Saturday night’s main event, is only a 2 ? to 1 favorite to win the fight. By comparison, Money May was a 6 to 1 favorite leading into his most recent bout with Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero, and a 6 ? to 1 favorite against young Victor Ortiz.
When asked about the sentiment of the Vegas odds makers, the perpetual gambler had a very definitive answer.
“If you go back and look at college football, when Notre Dame faced Alabama, the “Crimson Tide” treated the “Fighting Irish” like they were any other team on any other Saturday. The rest is history,” professed Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“I’ve basically faced every style, so I don’t think there is anything new he can bring to the table that I haven’t seen before. And if he can show me something new, I’m the best at making adjustments and adapting to anything in the sport of boxing.”
What is new that Canelo will bring to the ring on Saturday night isn’t something that can be translated in terms of style, but will surely transcend in the ring as an aura of confidence and an unflinching determination to win.
If anyone asks the young fighter if he thinks he can defeat the pound for pound king of boxing, he will give you a very absolute response.
“I don’t think I’m going to win on September 14th,” calmly states Canelo Alvarez. “I know I’m going to win.” Does Canelo Alvarez possess the kind of ice water in his veins to dethrone the pound for pound king of boxing?
We will find out this Saturday night.
