I don?t share Canelo?s lack of enthusiasm. But Wade, for all his virtues, is facing the Lord High Executioner of Boxing?
He has red hair. He has freckles. He holds the WBC World middleweight title. In Mexico he?s huge, way bigger than Elvis. But he?s cuter and more vicious.
With a dazzling professional record of 46-1-1 (32 KOs), Canelo remains formidable. He has a great chin. He has heavy hands. He is as tough as they come.
But one of these days he?ll run out of excuses.
Amir Khan is a fine fighter. He is a worthy opponent. Clever, hard hitting, fleet of foot, the Bolton Bomber has been the whole package for a long time. Virgil Hunter, his ace trainer in Oakland, has made Khan a better fighter. He is less emotional. He is less reckless. That recklessness made his fights unpredictable, and the unpredictability is missed. But Khan is a special fighter.
On Saturday, May 7, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in a fight televised live on Showtime, Canelo and Khan will get it on in a fight not to be missed.
But in another galaxy far away looms an ungodly fistic presence. Gennady Golovkin (34-0, 31 KOs), the Kazakh Kid with the heavy hands from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, holds a fistful of belts and he is itching for a fight.
Critics have taken Canelo to task for what feels like stall tactics.
?There?s always going to be critics,? he said to those who think he?s ducking Golovkin. ?There?s people supporting you and there?s always people that are against you. I really don?t worry about that.?
So the wait is on.
?The question is not if, but when,? said Canelo?s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya. ?That?s a fight that as a promoter, it?s a fight that I want to see, that the world wants to see. But as a promoter, I want it to be the biggest event in the history of this sport to attract fans and to bring back the fans that we lost when people witnessed Manny Pacquiao versus Mayweather.
?So my question every single day is: How can I accomplish that?? he continued. ?But this fight has to happen at the perfect moment, at the perfect time, and I think we?re getting close.?
Close but no cigar, at least not yet.
As a consolation prize, this Saturday night at the Forum in Inglewood, California, and televised live on HBO, Gennady Golovkin will defend his WBA/IBF/IBO middleweight titles against Dominic Wade (18-0, 12 KOs), the undefeated slugger from Largo, Maryland.
Wade is hungry. He comes to win. He comes to fight.
And his confidence is infectious.
?Nobody sees me, everybody is looking through me,? he said recently. ?Nobody gives me a chance in this fight. Everybody wants to see Golovkin and Canelo. However, you can never know what can happen in this fight. I can, probably, prevent the fight between Golovkin and Alvarez. People underestimate me.
?They making it seem like he?s Superman. I don?t really think that much. I see flaws in his game. I think he?s just basic up and down. But the hype is scaring. I don?t think he?s quick. All I think he has is his strength. Other than that he?s basic and it isn?t a style that I haven?t seen.?
We pulling for you, kid.
When asked during a recent teleconference call if he was going to watch Golovkin-Wade, Canelo was noncommittal.
?If I have the time, if I?m free on Saturday night I?ll watch it. If not, I?ll probably record it and watch it later. I follow boxing so most likely I?m gonna watch it.?
I don?t share Canelo?s lack of enthusiasm. But Wade, for all his virtues, is facing the Lord High Executioner of Boxing.
It should be fun while it lasts.
Canelo says a fight with Golovkin is coming. It?s only a matter of time.
?It?s definitely in my future plans. I want to have that fight. That?s the fight I want. I want to give that to the fans. I?m just not sure when. Right now I?m focused on Amir Khan. That?s my fight. I want to fight three times this year. That?s my plan, but anything can happen in this fight with Amir Khan. Sometimes you have a plan and it changes. So I?m focused 100 percent on Amir Khan, and we?ll see right after that.?
Golovkin doesn?t buy it.
?I understand this decision is maybe 20-percent Canelo?s and 80-percent Golden Boy,? he told the LA Times. ?It?s business, but it?s not respectful for boxing. Everyone says Canelo is a great champion, the idol of Mexico. The idol for what? For boxing? No. Or as a businessman? Right now, he looks like a businessman.
?Let?s settle who?s the best middleweight. Come on, guys. I?ve been waiting. Let?s fight.?
