When Canelo Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo step into the ring on Saturday night, they will do so with lofty expectations and with a lot of pressure, for a number of reasons.
Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) is of course coming off of his first pro defeat ? a lopsided decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. last September, and though he wasn?t beat up in the fight, he looked completely outclassed and it was obvious that there are still plenty of holes in his game to fill.
Certainly against a fighter like Angulo, who likes to come forward and has an offensive mentality, Alvarez won?t have to look too hard to find him, and it will likely be a showdown with plenty of fireworks. However, it won?t appease those who want to know if his deficiencies have been addressed, as we likely won?t know until he fights another slick opponent. Nevertheless, this fight is presumably meant to build his confidence back up, though Angulo is not exactly a stepping stone either.
The other big question will be whether Alvarez can justify headline a PPV, where he is the star attraction. When he fought Mayweather last year, the fight did record live gate numbers, and nearly topped Mayweather vs. De La Hoya as the all-time PPV leader, but keep in mind that Canelo was the opponent and Floyd was the headliner. If the PPV can do well enough to turn a profit, then it will be considered a success, but if it falls short, then it could be back to regular Showtime for his next fight.
Then there?s Angulo as the opponent. For Alvarez, it will be an easier fight compared to fighting someone like Mayweather, but Angulo has power, a solid chin and enjoys mixing it up. He also has Virgil Hunter, a master tactician in his corner, so this could prove to be tougher than expected. Angulo too is coming off of a loss ? a TKO at the hands of the tricky Erislandy Lara, whom no one is in a hurry to fight either. It was a close fight that either guy could have won, had it gone the distance, but an immense amount of swelling on the left eye of Angulo was too much to bare, as Angulo called it a night, and though you can call him a quitter, no one in their right mind should fight with a grotesque swelling like the one he had that night.
Angulo too is in need of a victory, as he has to knockout losses in his last four fights, and is another loss or two away from becoming a gatekeeper, which he undoubtedly has no interest in becoming. Alvarez as his opponent, also comes forward, and though he can be a bit more tactical, does also like to come forward and gets aggressive. That he won?t have to run around the ring to find him, as he did against Lara, should at least give Angulo a better shot at winning, and let?s not be too hasty in counting him out. The two have the kind of style and the chins to be effective, though Canelo is without question much more polished and is rightfully the favorite.
What this will ultimately come down to is a war of attrition. Who will impose their will on the other and how will the other react if they find themselves behind on the cards, or if their behinds are on the canvas?
Neither fighter can afford a loss right now, not in the sense that it will ruin their careers, but that they?ve both lost a little bit of steam, and it?s easier to get rolling again after Saturday night, as opposed to being derailed once again.
