Many within as well as outside of the boxing world see the contest as yet another money grab and not a significant contest?
Has it really been ten years since the fight which was supposed to save boxing took place? May 5, 2007 was to be the first of many Cinco de Mayo weekends which were renamed in many circles as ?Cinco de Mayweather?. Several combatants were given the chance to unseat the former pound for pound great, yet they were unable to do so. Of course, the many historical evenings which etched themselves into boxing lore over the years were in due time to receive a bit of company. Last May, Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KO?s) was given top billing at the brand new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as he put his WBC middleweight title on the line. He prevailed by a sixth round TKO victory over Amir Khan, who himself was taking a monumental chance by jumping up two weight classes.
In some way, the almost predictable outcome may have been forgotten by the mere fact that a Mexican boxer was now the headliner for a change. Granted, some can throw in Alvarez?s ill fated outing against the aforementioned Mayweather in September 2013, which was more about money and breaking records than anything else. Floyd messed up Canelo?s beautiful hair throughout twelve rounds. This Saturday, Alvarez will participate in an all-Mexican affair when he throws down against Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
Think about it. Canelo?s essentially been handed the A-side, the Carte Blanche and the golden ticket for the next ten years, provided he continues to win. However outlandish it may seem, Chavez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KO?s) can change all of this with one good punch. Some have asked why he?s even part of the promotion when his recent efforts in the ring are considered. It?s a fair question. Still, he is the larger competitor, although the contracted weight of 164.5 pounds may limit his approach.
Would a Julio, Jr. victory throw an epic monkey wrench at not only Canelo?s brief grasp on Cinco de Mayo weekend, but his anticipated showdown with Gennady Golovkin as well? Such possibilities were on the minds of the international media on Monday afternoon when Chavez, Jr. participated in a conference call to officially kick off fight week in Las Vegas. He was quick to stress the magnitude of the upcoming contest.
?This important for both of us,? he said. ?It may be one of the most important fights in the history of Mexican boxing. It?s a big event. This may be my last opportunity for greatness and I can?t let this slip by. It?s definitely the biggest fight of my career.?
HBO?s most recent installment of its pre-fight buildup show known as ?Face Off? premiered on Saturday evening. When Canelo Alvarez had no less than pooh-poohed Julio?s place in Mexican boxing, Chavez fired back at his compatriot?s chosen opposition. He took a moment to elaborate on Monday when he commented, ?He?s a great fighter but he?s fought a lot of guys who were not in their prime. I?m also a larger person than him.? He furthermore did his best to get to the bottom of Alvarez?s clear disdain for him.
?I don?t know specifically what he doesn?t like about me or why the animosity exists,? said the fighter from Culiacan. ?Maybe it?s because I am the son of Julio Cesar Chavez. I grew up watching him as a little kid. We don?t pick who we are born to, but I know that I?ve earned to be where I?m at. I have my own trainer in Nacho Beristain and he?s one of the best in the history of boxing.?
He continued to heap praise upon the former trainer of Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez and looked to explain why Beristain was the one to get him out of the haze which had seemed to plague him for a good while. ?He?s a great trainer and I think he has the correct character to match mine. I saw a connection that I thought would work for me. I felt throughout the camp that he helped me with some changes that will benefit me on fight night. The difference here is that I?m listening to my corner and to Nacho. It was very difficult in the beginning, but it will be the difference for this fight.?
Will size matter? Chavez, of course has been notorious throughout his career of not being able to control his weight. As Canelo is the A-side of the promotion, the redheaded champion from Guadalajara was able to dictate the weight limit to a man who has fought as a light heavyweight. Julio didn?t seem to show any concern as he broke down his success in camp as well as his strategy for Saturday. ?In boxing, the bigger person will always have the advantage,? he said. ?For this fight, I will just focus on staying strong but I think this will come down to me being intelligent. Can I knock him out? I think I can. He?s never fought anyone my size.?
Despite the fact that the May 6 contest sold out in a matter of hours and several Vegas hotels are offering weekend fight fans the chance to watch it on closed circuit TV, many within as well as outside of the boxing world see the contest as yet another money grab and not a significant contest. Despite the fact that he may not care one way or another, Julio sounded ready for Saturday.
?There?s a true rivalry and on Saturday, people will see just how real it is?, said Chavez, Jr. ?We?ll be sure to show this in the ring. I want to prove to everyone that I can still fight at the top level.?
