Despite his loss to Floyd Mayweather, where Canelo looked like a rookie fighting an all-star, his wattage hasn?t dimmed significantly?
In anticipation of Saturday?s pay-per-view fight between Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) and Alfredo ?El Perro? Angulo (22-3, 18 KOs), the two fighters recently met with the press via teleconference call. Hosted by Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, who did most of the talking, Canelo and El Perro were on their best behavior, especially Canelo.
Schaefer spoke about many things, including Angulo donating his hair to the Locks of Love charity. He also revealed that Angulo asked repeatedly, ?I?d like to fight Canelo,? and that Schaefer was ?happy that we were able to make his dream come true.?
Despite Canelo?s loss to Floyd Mayweather, where he looked like a rookie fighting an all-star, his wattage hasn?t dimmed significantly. He?s still a celebrity, especially in Mexico, and presumably can still attract the big bucks which pay-per-view can generate.
After coming up short against the Big Enchilada, many have wondered where Canelo goes from here. There was talk of his fighting Carlos Molina. There was talk of his fighting Erislandy Lara. But in the end Angulo was selected, and Canelo explained why.
?Basically, the reason why we chose him is because we made a decision that he was the best style for me,? said Canelo. ?He?s a very strong fighter. He comes forward. He makes good fights, and I feel that this was the best fight for the fight fans style-wise.?
Angulo is tough, but finding him won?t be a problem. This may be the best fight style-wise for Canelo, and his fans as well: ?I have loyal fans and I?m very grateful for that and they?re always going to be with me and I feel that they?re going to support me through thick and thin and they?re going to follow me in this pay-per-view.?
Of course this fight shouldn?t be on pay-per-view. Canelo is not the best of the best. He?s on no one?s top ten pound-for-pound list. The same is true of Angulo. But if there?s an upside of having to pay to watch this fight, it?s that Angulo, who has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune, will earn a nice payday in the process.
?Saul?s a good fighter,? the always gracious Angulo said. ?He?s a good fighter and it?s a fight that I wanted and I think that on March 8 everybody?s going to find out who?s going to remain as the top guy in Mexico, representing Mexico, the number one fighter at this weight class.?
Angulo?s come forward style and defensive liabilities seem tailor-made for a limited bomber like Canelo. But Angulo says he and his trainer, Virgil Hunter, have come up with a good game plan. It had better be good if he hopes to have any chance of winning what looks like a mismatch.
Although Floyd didn?t stop Canelo he gave him a beating. Some fighters are never the same after suffering their first loss, but Canelo insists he?s raring to go.
?It?s very hard, and it hurt my honor. It?s very tough. Nobody ever wants to lose. Nobody ever wants to be on the losing side of a fight. But I don?t see it as a loss. I see it as a learning experience, and I?m just going to take the best out of it.?
Canelo was asked what he expects from Angulo Saturday night.
?I think it?s going to be a hard fight,? he said. ?It?s going to be a very, very tough fight, a hard fight. He?s a strong fighter. He?s a very, very strong fighter and I?m going to have to prepare very well for this fight. He?s going to have to do what?s convenient for him to win and I?m going to have to do what?s convenient for me to win. So I?m not taking this lightly at all, and I?m going to have to prepare well.
?Without a doubt this is going to be a tough fight, without a doubt. But it?s also going to be a very attractive fight, and that?s what the fans want. I think the fans deserve these kinds of fights. The fans don?t want to see a fight where one guy is just running the whole night. They want to see these kinds of battles.?
Canelo may be right, but he is playing to his base. His fans may want to see nothing more than watch their hero pound Angulo into submission. There?s a small minority, however, of whom I?m member, who want to see fights that are competitive.
Angulo gives every impression of being less media savvy than Canelo, or maybe he?s simply more thoughtful.
?It?s going to be an interesting fight,? he said. ?Look, everybody knows my style, everybody knows how I fight, my pro record proves that, you can see my fights, and I?m always in very, very good fights. I always give great fights. I always give 100% of me. So it?s going to be a very interesting fight because he?s trying to come back from his first loss, and I just feel that it?s the right time for this fight.?
Someone quoted Carlos Molina, who said the reason Canelo decided to fight Angulo is because ?it?s the easiest fight? and he doesn?t ?want to risk getting another loss in [his] career.?
Hearing that, the offensive machine went on the defensive.
?The people know, the fans know, and the way they?ve been reacting to this fight, this is the toughest fight, this is the most attractive fight out there, so that comment is uncalled for.?
Now that someone had broken the ice by being less than sycophantic, he tried to extract from Canelo what exactly he learned from fighting Mayweather.
?I learned a lot from that fight,? repeated Canelo. ?I learned a lot from the Mayweather fight. He?s got a style that?s very complicated. He?s got a style that?s very intelligent and he fights intelligently. I think that his whole purpose is just to win, but I learned a lot. I learned a lot about the fight itself inside the ring and outside the ring as well. Whenever you suffer a defeat you never want to feel that again, you never want to go through that again, so that?s something that?s very, very important to me.?
Analysis, like personality, may not be Canelo?s strong suit. For that we need to turn to Angulo.
?When you?re born you?re born fighting,? he said. ?Everybody?s born fighting and they?re fighting for a better life, for a better future. I don?t see myself as a knockout puncher. A knockout puncher is the type of fighter that he?ll throw a punch and he?ll knock the guy out and they won?t get up. I?m a fighter that likes to work and I break down my opponents. My style is more of a hard working fighter. I put my punches together and I break down the opponents.?
Whether Angulo can break down Canelo, let alone knock him out, remains to be seen.
Canelo Alvarez vs. Alfredo Angulo with be broadcast live Saturday night on Showtime PPV starting at 9:00 PM/ET and 6:00 PM/PT.
