Saul "Canelo" Alvarez Has Some Weighty Issues

Following his pugilistic master class at the hands of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is set to return to the ring versus the dangerous, yet cement footed Alfredo Angulo. This event, whose promoters have the audacity to place on Pay Per View is far more hype than fight. The fact is, Saul Alvarez has absolutely no reason to lose vs. the formidable, yet battle worn Angulo. He is far more talented and unlike Angulo possesses more than one gear. Yet, is Alvarez serious? As the weigh in indicated "Canelo" failed to make weight, an "ailment" which seems to plague would be star fighters of late, most recently the talented, yet underachieving Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. Failure to make weight indicates that there's a strong possibility of conditioning woes, that will likely show up in the fight; and as gifted as Alvarez is, as seen in his contest with Austin Trout and Floyd Mayweather, the Mexican idol tends to lose steam in the late rounds. It will be interesting to see if Alvarez has merely outgrown his division or if he's legitimately out of shape. It is likely he's not as conditioned as he should be, even against a limited foe as Angulo. One wonders if he is taking this fight seriously. Is he more enamored with his celebrity then he is with the vocation which brought him to prominence? Boxing, like circus is a "jealous wench" as Henry Ringling North once quipped. It demands your full attention and will not, under any circumstances play the side piece. This is "Canelo's" opportunity to assert himself as elite or just a matinee idol with a punch. Judging by his failure to make weight, it may take him sometime before he understands the difference.

© 2014

Marcos "El Chino" Maidana: The Right Choice

 “All roads lead to Mayweather,” his Moneyness is fond of saying. The road trekked by Marcos Maidana has been long and hard, featuring crushing disappointments and inspiring, even surprising triumphs. His story reads like a Hollywood script. A rough and rugged Argentine fighter who spends years trudging and struggling in obscurity is suddenly thrust into the spotlight courtesy of murderous power in both hands and an unearthly toughness that would make the late great Arturo Gatti blush; and just like a Tinseltown scribe would pen, that long, hard and brutal road leads to the biggest name in sports and the greatest boxer of the age, Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr.

No matter what the cynics spew this fight makes the most sense in every conceivable way. First, Marcos Maidana is the right choice and very much deserves this shot. True, others like Erislandy Lara and Danny Garcia have definitely scored performances worthy of a dance with Floyd, but, let’s keep it real Marcos Maidana is simply the better story, he has more than paid his dues, in addition to posting those huge and unexpected wins. Maidana was not even in the conversation a year ago as a potential foe for Mayweather. That in and of itself is astounding. He got to this point legitimately, no promotional hype needed, just his fists. Second, thanks in large part to Marcos Maidana’s last performance and of course, Mayweather’s star power, particularly his ability to seduce his many detractors into dropping that hefty Pay Per View fee in hopes of him losing, this will likely rank among one of Mayweather’s greatest Pay Per View events. It reeks of that feel good, underdog tale fight fans and mainstream fans the world over can’t get enough of. The stoic, hard luck journey man done-good, versus the very embodiment of American brash and excellence. Lest we forget, Mayweather himself has traveled an arduous road of his own, and despite his renowned swagger, braggadocio and wealth, he approaches his craft as one with everything to lose. Finally, Maidana brings a dangerous presence that belies his record. He’s not built to merely fade away even against the wondrous ability of Floyd Mayweather, Jr. This will be a fight worth watching and its questions are glaringly obvious. What happens if Mayweather feels Maidana’s power? What happens when Maidana realizes Mayweather is not Broner, he’s the original make and model? Speaking of the once heir apparent, Adrien Broner, news of El Chino’s big break appears to pose a problem (pun intended). Win or lose, especially win, redemption vs. Marcos Maidana is out of the question, all thanks to his idol.

May 3^rd and the events leading to it are bound to generate the excitement expected of a Mayweather fight; and whatever the outcome, Marcos Maidana’s hard fought journey proves that sometimes good guys do finish first and in this case, might even win. Now that would certainly be the stuff of a Hollywood ending.

© 2014