At 22 years old, many of America?s youth are just figuring out that college is coming to an end , it’s time to begin working full-time, others struggle to find that career choice, plan on moving out of their parents? home, or are devising schemes on how to stay as long as possible until something breaks . Few 22 year old athletes have risen to the top of their sport, to compete with legends.
While other young professional fighters are seeking a youth title, planning on moving up, Canelo is taking on a legend in the ring, nearly matching his undefeated record.
When Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0,26ko) was defeating Genaro Hernandez for his first world title , the WBC super featherweight crown, Canelo was just Saul , enjoying second grade and most likely studying the complexity of adding double digits.
Just 15 years later he?ll have to begin adding, and subtracting from double digits once again but with a passel of zeros attached.
42-0-1, 30 knockouts, that is where the record stands today for the undefeated Mexican fighter, whose rise to this fight has been a mixture of good and bad press. Often unfairly accused of being pampered, his opponents hand-picked, or just a complete fraud, Canelo has taken it in good stride for one so young, maturely facing fame, one win at a time.
Former world champion Austin Trout was prepared,confident, with a game plan to defeat his youthful opponent;
“I grew up fighting that Mexican style. (Canelo) throws good and fast combinations but, I’m a slick guy and I’m usually able to neutralize all that with the footwork. But I’m going to come back with my own fast combinations. We’ve been trying very hard to match, if not -up- the intensity. I’m more than confident that we’ll be able to neutralize things his way.”
“He’s a bit of a banger. He’s strong. He’s fast. He’s young, but, I’ve been fighting his style my whole life. I’m from New Mexico. It shouldn’t be hard to figure out how he’s going to come, and how he’s going to bring it.”
Trout failed to adjust his game plan when Canelo proved to be a harder target to hit and a more effect power-puncher than he had planned for.
At fight time, Canelo will have hit the age of 23, and even should Mayweather prevail, will be a very rich young man, with one loss on his record, and an entire decade of boxing ahead of him.
Canelo has better than a punchers chance against Mayweather, he has youth, stamina, and power to land that one shot that may sway the judges, he has the speed and power to make an older Mayweather begin to think about retirement while in the ring.
There comes a time, when you have all the money you would ever truly need, when you?ve reached the all the heights available to you, when you begin to question in a tough grinding bout, ?Do I really need to do this anymore?, Mayweather has yet to face that dilemma.
Can Canelo apply that pressure to an older Mayweather, who seems to be afraid of that constant pressure fighter, or one that has the true power to hurt him. Alvarez is not a smaller man ready to retire, looking for a mega fight purse to end a career, nor is he a fighter that has only shown power when competing against a ?B? level opponent.
Victor Ortiz went on to lose suffering a broken jaw by Josesito Lopez, after Mayweather , the same fighter that Canelo dropped in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, round of the five round stoppage.
“Whatever Alvarez throws, we plan on catching what he does and countering, whatever he does,” he said. “Whatever he does, believe me, Floyd is going to be ahead of him.” Floyd Mayweather Sr. has stated.
Yet catching those punches on the shoulders and forearms from Canelo, through the first several rounds, will not be the same as catching those blows from the lighter, and lighter hitting ?Ghost? Guerrero. Arms tire from the constant pounding, while Mayweather will be hard to hit, he won’t be impossible, and the latter rounds could be the telling factor, when age begins matters, youth may trump experience, and slickness begins to fade with every sucking breath. Catching Canelo’s body shots with ribcage and abdomin, will not be the same as taking a body shot from a fading Hatton or Mosely. Five or six rounds from a body hunting Alvarez will not be the same as six rounds from a head hunting Juan Manuel Marquez, not by 25 pounds or so. Force = Mass * Accelleration
Canelo, who will blow up in size to nearly 170 pounds by fight night, will have to contend with the defensive skills of a legend, but his performance alone, will be the judge of his career, at this young age.
If he makes this a close exciting fight and loses it on the scorecards, his place at the top of boxing is set, if he manages to knockdown the older champion, he gains another notch, another rung on the legacy ladder. Should he power his way to a win, well the sky?s the limit in ?Money? and fame.
Only a truly boring, lop-sided, or early stoppage fight can damage Canelo?s career and even those results can be spun to shield him, due to his age, his and Mayweather?s experience gap, to still rebound over a short period of time.
Golden Boy and Canelo have negotiated themselves into a win-win fight, which makes this a dangerous fight for Floyd, facing a fighter with nothing to lose and a legacy to win.
