He?s so young. And at 25, he should just be getting started.
But the reality is Canelo Alvarez has been getting paid to fight for the last 10 years and as he approaches the prime of his boxing career, his legacy has already been established.
Tonight, he adds another chapter to that legacy when he faces former world junior welterweight champion Amir Khan in the first-ever boxing card at the new $375 million T-Mobile Arena and on HBO Pay Per View. Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 knockouts) will be making the first defense of his World Boxing Council middleweight title, even though the fight will be contested at a catchweight of 155 pounds. Alvarez won the title last Nov. 21 when he outpointed Miguel Cotto at Mandalay Bay.
?The fight comes at a good moment,? Alvarez said after he and Khan both weighed in at 155 Friday in front of estimated crowd of 4,000 at Toshiba Plaza. ?I?ve had many fights, big fights, a lot of experience now. I always say these years will be my best years.
?I?ve already had some good fights before the age of 25. I?ve done a lot, but my best years are still to come. I haven?t displayed everything. So I?m working for that.?
Many in boxing question this fight being made and that Alvarez should accept his mandatory fight against Gennady Golovkin, the undefeated World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organization middleweight champ who is also the WBC?s interim champion and No. 1 contender at 160 pounds.
Every time Alvarez prepares to fight someone not named Golovkin, the questions arise if he?s ducking GGG.
?It doesn?t bother me,? Alvarez said. ?In reality, that has always happened with all the fighters, but I believe the one that has to be ready is him, not me. Seeing him fight opponents like the one he fought two weeks ago (he knocked out Dominic Wade in the second round), it doesn?t sound right for him to say I?m avoiding him after taking that fight.
?I?m a fighter that has never been scared of anyone. I?ve fought the best in the world. I characterize myself as not being scared of anyone. Like I said, he?s the one that needs to be ready, not me. ? He needs to fight somebody with a name. Someone worthy of a big fight. Yes, he has the 22 knockouts, but against who? He hasn?t knocked out anyone notable.?
Alvarez may hold a title at 160 pounds, but he insisted Khan fight him at 155 pounds. The WBC sanctioned the fight as a title fight. He said he?d be surprised if Khan tried to stand and trade big blows with him tonight. Alvarez is a minus-575 betting favorite at the MGM Resorts sports books (Khan is plus 425).
?Every fighter is different, every fighter brings different skills and you have to adjust for that,? he said. ?For Amir, we have focused on increasing my hand speed, counter punching and preparing for lots of movement and footwork.?
Alvarez said he?s looking forward to being the headliner in he first-ever fight at T-Mobile Arena. He has fought in Las Vegas seven times at either the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay.
?It?s a big honor. It?s a huge honor,? he said. ?It?s something new in my career, something that?s going to go down as one of the best arenas for boxing. I think there?s going to be some great fights there, and to be the first one, it means so much for me and I?m very happy and I?m honored.?
It will be part of his growing legacy, one that he envisions adding to for a long time.
?I don?t see a limit,? he said on how long he plans to continue fighting. ?I want to be in this sport for another 10 years, to have a better career than the one I?ve had the first 10 years.?
