Canelo Alvarez says he will be ready for Manny Pacquiao a year from now.
No, folks, he said it. Reliable scribes have duly reported this comment on Friday as the redhaired Mexican wunderkind winds down for his easy fight against Ryan Rhodes on June 18.
Whilst I commend the crimson moptop for his youthful enthusiasm, I have two questions for Golden Boy?s flamehaired boy.
One, ready to do what with Pacman?
To have lunch with him?
To shoot pool in the billiards hall Manny owns in Gensan while popping a few Coronas?
Not wishing to be biting, caustic and acerbic but has Alvarez shown anything yet which makes any neutral observer believe he has even the potential to be a Pacman foe as we go into the final phase of Manny?s awesome career?
I certainly haven?t, although I freely concede Canelo is fun to watch and has provided a sorely need tonic for boxing in his homeland.
Three, four years from now, when the turning age 21 on July 18 Canelo has fully matured as a fighter, who?s to say?
But neither Pacman nor Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be campaigning by then. Or at least Mayweather won?t. Pacquiao may be campaigning for a higher political office come to think of it.
Second, Canelo uttered the tiresome, hoary clich? ?to be the best you have to fight the best.?
Guess we now know who he thinks is the world?s best P4P fighter and it?s not American Mayweather.
I promised only two questions as to Canelo?s comments but let me offer an observation.
Compared to the highly criticized Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Canelo gets a free ride from fans and media.
If Canelo?s last name was Chavez and he was the progeny of the legendary one from Culiacan, Sinaloa, would this be so?
Of course not.
Golden Boy shielding and pampering the green as grass Canelo now. And they should because it behooves them to do so, given his immaturity and lack to top level experience. Advertisement
Bob Arum is doing the same thing as best he can with Young Chavez, conceding that a bout pitting JC Jr. against middleweight mauler Sergio Martinez would be a train wreck for Chavez.
Yet, like the Goldens, Arum is doing his job.
It comes with the territory. When you?ve got an asset like Alvarez or Chavez, you shield them as long as you can.
A more accurate statement by Canelo would be for him to say that, 12 months from now, he will be ready to fight Chavez.
Unfortunately, with Chavez going into the ring at 180 pounds when he beat Sebastian Zbik, that sizzling all-Mexican showdown will never transpire.
It?s fun to think about it, though, and if it happened today, would you pick Canelo?
I wouldn?t.
Arum is close to letting Chavez try diminished but not way over the hill Miguel Cotto?
Can you imagine Canelo fighting the Boricua Banger at this point?
That would be another train wreck.
Canelo and Chavez, four years apart in age, are both works in progress.
They both have protective promoters.
That?s as it should be.
But, instead of rapping about Pacquiao, Canelo should be mentioning Antonio Margarito, Vanes Martiropsyan, Tall Paul Williams at 154 pounds or maybe welterweights such as Andre Berto and Vicious Victor Ortiz.
I don’t know how much Ricardo Mayorga has left in the tank but Alfredo Angulo would be an inspired choice for a bout against Alvarez.
He needs to start ?picking? on foes his own age and leave his superior elders alone.
This ?Carrot? would get too much stick from Pacquiao but let?s not condemn the kid for great aspirations, shall we?
