We're less than one week away from the most anticipated prizefight in recent memory. In almost exactly eight days time, Floyd Mayweather will take on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in a 152-pound catchweight fight that will settle who is the world's top light middleweight fighter.
Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs) will defend his WBA Super Light Middleweight strap and look to further cement his reputation as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world. Alvarez, who is already 42-0-1 at just age 23, is putting up his WBC & The Ring Light Middleweight titles and has emerged as perhaps the sport's most promising youngster.
The card is unquestionably the best of the year—and it's not just Mayweather vs. Alvarez. Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse were named in July to the top undercard spot, putting two main event-worthy fights all in one night at the MGM Grand. There are some who have openly wondered whether Garcia-Matthysse could overshadow the night's supposed main event.
While that's possible come next Saturday, for now, that fight stays in the background. Everyone from noted fight analysts to celebrities to even former boxers have begun abetting the hype to Mayweather's second fight of 2013—mostly by making early predictions on the bout. It's been a relative slow trickle thus far with opinions, as some are waiting until the last possible minute to make their call.
Vegas, on the other hand, has already picked its man. The folks at Bovada have installed Mayweather as a -280 favorite to extend his unbeaten streak to 45 fights. Money May has become a bastion of consistency over his career, defeating a wide range of opponents and becoming near-automatic for some bettors.
But as we get closer to the fight, it's clear that a some folks think that Mayweather may have bit off more than he can chew. The differing of opinion marks a stark contrast to his last fight, where just about everyone and their grandmother agreed Robert Guerrero was overmatched.
With that in mind, let's check in on a few of the most notable names who have made their opinions public.
Mike Tyson Gives Mike Tyson Answer
Say what you will about Mike Tyson's nearly three decades in our national consciousness, but the man knows how to give a good quote. It's not always a coherent thought, mind you, and he sometimes decides to scare the holy hell out of children.
But no matter what, Iron Mike is always interesting. So it's no surprise that when the former heavyweight champ was asked by Vibe who he thought would come away victorious, he meandered a little bit before giving the edge to the elder statesman.
“Anything can happen when two human beings get into the ring,” Tyson said. “Floyd is very experienced. This guy Alvarez is very strong. It comes across like Floyd will win, but we’ll see.”
This middle-of-the-road selection of Mayweather falls in line with what Tyson has said previously. He appeared on ESPN2's Friday Night Fights back in July and picked Money May, though he expressed concern about Alvarez's power punches:
It's gonna be tough, it's gonna be tough. I gotta go towards Floyd a little bit. It's gonna be tough, because we don't know because Floyd is older. This guy is gonna hit him, but it's just difficult to bet against Floyd if you're really honest with yourself. It's really difficult to bet against him because he's been so superior over all of the fighters during the duration of his career.
So, if you're keeping score at home, anything can happen when two human beings step in a boxing ring. And it's going to be a tough fight. But Floyd wins. I think?
Cain Velasquez Goes With the "Hungry" Fighter
UFC Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is no stranger to a boxing ring. Well, at least he's no stranger to talking about getting into the ring with a boxer. Mixed martial arts' top heavyweight made waves earlier this year for his feud with British boxer Tyson Fury, who called out Velasquez on social media and asked multiple times for a fight.
Unsurprisingly, nothing has happened. These things tend to get a little blustery, if you're new to pugilism.
But don't think for a second that's stopping anyone from asking Velasquez what he thinks about the year's biggest fight. In the video embedded above posted by EsNews, Velasquez picks Alvarez to come out on top.
The reason? He's hungrier.
It's not a totally unfair point. There are many ways, 41.5 million of them in fact, you could say Mayweather has already won the bout. He's already broke his own purse record, will likely push for the top pay-per-view orders in recent memory and will be able to parlay this financial success into even more in 2014.
However, there's one thing Velasquez is forgetting: The only thing Mayweather loves more than money is his undefeated record. There are many things you can say about Mayweather's career in the limelight. That he's unprepared or not motivated has never been one.
Oscar De La Hoya Believes in Canelo. Or He Just Wants You to Buy the Fight.
As tends to be the case in just about every major prizefight, Oscar De La Hoya stands to make himself an even richer man. The former Olympic gold medalist and multi-time champion has thrown himself into Golden Boy Promotions, a company he founded in 2002 around the height of his popularity.
Over the past decade-plus, Golden Boy has become one of the most successful and respected boxing promotions on the planet. Since retiring, De La Hoya has essentially becoming the Don King of this era—minus the hair, unfortunately. He promotes vast array of talent from around the boxing world, including nine current champions.
One of those champions? Saul Alvarez. Another? Danny Garcia. And if that wasn't enough, Golden Boy also promotes Matthysse. Suffice it to say the De La Hoya household won't be struggling to put food on the table this month.
While Mr. Golden Boy himself has understandably been mum on his opinion for Garcia-Matthysse, he's made no bones about who he thinks will win the main event. According to Complex's Jose Martinez, not only does De La Hoya think Alvarez will pull the upset, he thinks Mayweather is about to have his Manny Pacquiao moment:
Canelo is so calm and mature. Nothing gets to him. He is focused. I tell him to stay focused. And keep pumping your jab. That is the key. My world changed after I beat Chavez. Canelo is experiencing the glory and ahead of his time. If he doesn’t knock Floyd out in less than eight rounds, I will be very surprised.
Again, here is where we remind you that De La Hoya is paid to hype his fighter and promote this fight. The fist lesson they teach at the Boxing Fandom Academy is to never take a promoter too seriously. But when someone of De La Hoya's reputation has an opinion, it's always worth taking the time and listening even if you don't totally buy in.
Freddie Roach Doesn't Think Canelo Has a Chance
If you're looking for an opinion on the polar opposite side of De La Hoya's, legendary trainer Freddie Roach has you covered. Roach has never been afraid to call out Money May in the past. He's called the pound-for-pound great washed up and been hypercritical of the legendary impasse in negotiations between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, Roach's top fighter.
That said, when it comes to fight analysis, Roach has always been a straight shooter. Hence the following quote, courtesy of Josh Slagter of MLive.com.
"(Alvarez) is a pretty good puncher and a tough guy," Roach said. "But does he have a chance at beating Mayweather? I don't think so. I like Canelo and hope he does well."
Roach also indicated that the average fan may get a little bored from the field. Alvarez and Mayweather both enjoy taking their chances, though each are smart enough to adjust their strategies to the strengths and weaknesses of their opponent.
What's interesting, though, was how emphatic Roach was. There is no love lost between he and the Mayweather camp, so the vote of confidence is at least a little surprising.
Of, course this could all be reverse psychology. If so, well done, Freddie. Well done. But if that's the way Roach really feels—and we have no indication otherwise—it might be a long evening for Canelo.
You're Not Sure Who Will Win? Don't Worry. Neither is Shane Mosley
When someone asks your opinion on something, the natural human inclination is to take a stance. No matter whether you have one or not. Hesitation and unsureness are usually two traits associated with weaker people, and we've become conditioned to avoid that characterization at all costs.
It applies to just about all walks of life. When asked your opinion on the latest political development in the Middle East, you have an opinion no matter how apolitical you truly are. When folks want to talk about Miley Cyrus twerking, you join right in.
And when someone asks you who is going to win a boxing match, you damn sure have an answer. Except when your name is Sugar Shane Mosley. The legendary boxer spoke to Lem Satterfield of CraveOnline this week, who asked him about his opinion on Mayweather-Alvarez.
Apparently, Mosley is unconcerned about the natural human condition.
"My real answer is that I don't know who is going to win. That is my real answer," Mosley, said. "I mean, there can be a result either way. In the beginning, I was leaning toward Mayweather, but Canelo has a real chance."
In so many ways, this is refreshing. Mosley could have taken the natural route and made headlines with a boisterous pick. It's easy in this 24-7 news cycle to put yourself into a major event merely by taking a stance some people will want to talk about.
Mosely took the other route. He admitted something that we all have trouble admitting: that we have no idea. Mayweather and Alvarez are both great fighters, and each have a pretty good shot at pulling it out.
But guess what? Mosley and the rest of us are only a week from finding out.
Follow Tyler Conway on Twitter:
Read more Boxing news on BleacherReport.com
0 comments:
Post a Comment