When Kermit Cintron (33-4-1, 28 KOs) steps into the ring at Monumental Plaza de Toros in Mexico City, Mexico on Saturday night, he will be the clear B-side to burgeoning star, Saul ?El Canelo? Alvarez (38-0-1, 28 KOs), the current WBC jr, middleweight titlist making the third defense of the title he won in March of this year. Cintron is yet again placed behind the 8-ball, with the chips stacked against him as he goes to his opponent?s backyard in front of what will surely be a hostile crowd. He isn?t expected to win, despite what you may hear from Golden Boy Promotions.
Cintron has been here before. This isn?t his first rodeo.
For a guy that began boxing at only 19 years of age, Cintron has gotten far on talent alone. With his height, long reach, and punching power, a few brave souls compared Cintron to Thomas Hearns early on. Cintron, only 25 and with six years of boxing experience under his belt, earned his first title shot against Antonio Margarito in 2005. Undefeated and winning 22 of his first 24 by way of knockout, Cintron posed a legitimate threat to the persistent Margarito. Cintron would suffer the first defeat of his career to Margarito, a fifth round technical knockout loss. In the 6-and-a-half years since that loss, Citnron has fought only 10 times, winning a vacant welterweight title, and being part of two of the more controversial decisions in recent years along the way.
