It’s always been “go big or go home” for the fearless pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez. This Saturday, the Mexican champ and boxing’s biggest star will be moving up two weight divisions for a showdown against light heavyweight WBO champion Sergey Kovalev. The intriguing matchup has “fight of the year” potential as Canelo will have to literally overcome his biggest challenge in the Russian war machine (Kovalev), who can knock anyone out with one punch.
Alvarez vs Kovalev will headline a Golden Boy Promotions card at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada that features an exciting co-main event in Ryan Garcia vs. Romero Duno and an undercard with a grand assortment of interesting characters. The excitement is killing us, so let’s get into what makes this glorious night of boxing so special.
Sergey Kovalev takes the “cinnamon challenge”
While most 36-year-old boxers are content on preparing for retirement, Sergey Kovalev (34–3–1) refuses to pass the light heavyweight torch. Just two months ago, blue-chipper Anthony Yarde stepped into the Russian’s yard looking for a fight. The eleven round demolition derby saw Kovalev humbling the upstart in a brutal and bloody stoppage victory.
They don’t call Kovalev “The Krusher” for no reason. The heavy-handed Russian doesn’t just have knockout power — his punches are life-changing in the worst way possible. Headlining his dangerous arsenal is Kovalev’s famed jab. It’s the punch that put Yarde down, shut down Bernard Hopkins and re-arranged Andre Ward’s face.
In addition to every possessing every physical advantage possible, there’s also a lot less pressure on Kovalev to win. He’s lost multiple times before and he’s been on the receiving side of two knockouts. Still, he knows this could very well be his last shot at securing a massive payday and etching his name into the boxing history books. After losing to Ward twice and never fighting Adonis Stevenson, Kovalev would skyrocket up the P4P rankings by knocking out Canelo.
Canelo plays Russian roulette
“Canelo” Saul Alvarez (52-1-2) is the face of boxing and the most bankable name in the sport. The 29-year-old Mexican star is equally comfortable on his front foot and his back foot. He’s a grandmaster boxer-puncher who would be undefeated in 55 fights if it wasn’t for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Despite Alvarez’s Hall-of-Fame resume, it’s hard not to notice his significant size disadvantage. He’s a natural middleweight and has shaved all the way down to light-welterweight in the past. At the risk of sounding like a Bumble dater, there’s a huge difference between 6′ and 5’8″.
With that being said, Canelo has shown the ability to punch up. His last two opponents, Daniel Jacobs and Rocky Felding, were both significantly bigger than him.
Ultimately, Canelo is hedging all his bets on this fight. If he wins, he enters a discussion for all-time great. After all, he would be a four-division world champion, and he owns wins over Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto and Daniel Jacobs in addition to beating Kovalev. In addition, he would have an outside chance to draw Ward out of retirement for a tantalizing super fight.
Losing would hurt Alvarez in a number of ways. And Kovalev’s power gives him way more than a puncher’s chance of the biggest upset of 2019. This is a big risk for Canelo that could spell an early end to his prime. Alvarez knows himself what it’s like to knock out a smaller fighter: Amir Khan was never the same after losing to him. And while Canelo is not even 30, he has professional ring mileage dating back to his early teen years. Getting stopped by Kovalev could be catastrophic for Alvarez’s future both in and out of the ring.
Ryan Garcia finally gets his fight
Remember that crazy story of Ryan Garcia’s opponent getting arrested right before the weigh-in? Funny how fast the boxing news cycle moves. On the card’s co-main event, Garcia (18-0-0) finally returns to action against Romero Duno (21-1-0), who had some fighting words for Golden Boy’s prized fighter after Garcia refused to fight him at a moment’s notice:
While both Garcia and Duno box under the Golden Boy Promotions flag, it’s hard not to see Oscar De La Hoya rooting for his future cash-cow in King Ryan Garcia, who he recently signed to a “record deal.” To learn more about what makes Garcia so special, you can read his Tales of the Tape.
That’s not to discount the Filipino sparkplug Duno. The 25-year-old is in tip-top shape and is hungry to make a name for himself at Garcia’s expense.
The undercard
If you thought Tyson Fury was made for pro-wrestling, wait until you meet welterweight Blair Cobbs (21-0-1). Calling himself “The Flair,” the 29-year-old Philly-native has co-opted WWE legend Ric Flair’s tropes like the Nature Boy’s “WOOOOOO” and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin’s Richard Strauss-composed entrance music. He’s fighting Mexican journeyman Carlos Ortiz (11-4), who is expected to be just a body filler.
Lastly, two talented flyweights in women’s boxing collide in Seniesa Estrada (17-0-0) vs. Marlen Esparza (7-0-0). While only 27-years-old, Estrada is a veteran of the game, fighting pro since she was 19. In fact, she called out Esparza before she even turned pro.
The 30-year-old Esparza is a decorated amateur and a bronze medalist at the London 2012 Olympics, so it’s natural that the Houston-native would have a target on her back. She’s taken umbrage to Estrada’s trash talk and has made it clear the beef wouldn’t be squashed even after Saturday’s final bell. The two will be fighting for the WBA interim flyweight title.
How to watch
Die-hard Canelo fans know to tune into DAZN. Tune in promptly at 9:00 p.m. EST, 6 p.m. PST so you don’t miss any of the action. If you’re in Sin City for business or pleasure, be sure to cop a ticket for MGM Grand Garden Arena fight. There are still some available, albeit at a steep cost. Maybe try your luck on the slot machines or at the tables first? Enjoy the fight!
