Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was brutally honest with Canelo Alvarez, even if it meant inadvertently knocking himself.
Chavez told Alvarez as part of HBO?s ?Faceoff With Max Kellerman? segment that Alvarez agreed to fight him at 164? pounds only ?because you don?t want to fight Triple-G.?
Chavez added, ?You fight me because you think I?m easier than Triple-G.?
It?s at least curious that Alvarez agreed to box Chavez at a catch weight nearly 10 pounds higher than Alvarez has ever fought, yet wouldn?t face Kazakhstan?s Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs) at the middleweight limit of 160. Then again, the 26-year-old Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) still is about a 6-1 favorite against Chavez (50-2-1, 32 KOs, 1 NC), despite that the 6-feet-1 Chavez stands four inches taller than Alvarez and figures to out-weigh him by at least 10 pounds once their 12-round fight starts Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT; $69.99 in HD).
?The people criticize him because he fought Amir Khan [at 155 pounds],? Chavez said, ?He fought Liam Smith [at 154]. You know, because Triple-G?s there and other guys, but he picked other opponents and don?t take the risk.?
Alvarez, 26, reminded Chavez, 31, that he is taking a significant risk by moving up about 10 pounds to fight his Mexican rival. Alvarez also alluded to his history of facing elite competition, a group that includes retired pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., former four-division champion Miguel Cotto and WBA 154-pound champion Erislandy Lara.
?He says I fight with smaller boxers,? said Alvarez, whose lone loss was a 12-round majority decision defeat to the unbeaten Mayweather in September 2013. ?I have fought with the best ones ? the best ones of my weight. I fought with the current champions of the time. I don?t see why he is saying that. I?ve fought with other boxers that want to gain weight. I fought with whomever, big or small. What can I say? We are in this fight and I?m waiting for May 6th, for him to realize who Canelo is.?
