“A GOOD BIG MAN ALWAYS…” – World Boxing Association

This saying continues “… beats the good little man”, is well known to our readers of this article whose purpose is to comment, with pretensions of prediction, the much awaited fight this Saturday, September 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with capacity for about 20 thousand people, which will be between the Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and the American Jermell Charlo, super welterweight champion, also undisputed, who will try to snatch from the former the 4 belts of the super middleweight division that he won two years ago.

In this case, the “the good big man…” is the Mexican, who will go up with the odds in his favor by 4-1, as of Tuesday 26th. It should be explained beforehand that “the good big man” has to do with the weight of both fighters and not with the height of the contenders.

Charlo exceeds Canelo’s hight by 10 centimeters,  with a reach of 189 vs. the Latino’s 173-179. The challenger’s physical advantage vanishes when it comes to body weight: “Canelo” is the king of 168 pounds, while Charlo dominates at 154 pounds. That is, 14 pounds less, about 7 kilos. Such a difference could be decisive…but only on paper.

If the fight ends in round 12 the decision will be made by judges Max de Luca, California; Donald Sutherland, Oklahoma and Steve Weisfeld, New Jersey, with Harvey Dock, New Jersey as the third man. They were appointed by the Nevada Commission.

The fighters’ purse has not been disclosed. However, it is known that Alvarez has a $100 million long-term contract for his next three fights with Premier Boxing Champions, the company staging the event in Las Vegas.

A TOUGH CHALLENGE FOR BOTH 

This does not mean that the Guadalajara native will find this an easy fight. On the contrary, Charlo, nicknamed Iron Man, 33 years old, the same age as Alvarez, is a tough fighter, as much as his twin brother Jermall, Hit Man, WBC middleweight titleholder and who was thought to be the final opponent chosen by the Aztec’s handlers.

Jermell has a record of 35 fights won, 19 by KO, one loss and one draw, although there are no big names in his record. But he certainly has a fast right hand, is quite skilled in defense and has the necessary weapons to to contain the champion, winner by knockout in 39 of 59 victories, 2 draws and only 2 losses, the first on points 10 years ago against the now retired Floyd Mayweather, the other in May of last year against Russian Dimitri Bivol, who defeated him by knockout when “Canelo” tried to take the WBA light heavyweight title, a division he briefly dominated in the WBO version when he knocked out Russian Sergey Kovalev in 11 rounds in November 4 years ago and which he never defended.

Alvarez made his debut at the age of 15 and during this time he has been super welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight champion in addition to undisputed super middleweight, the belts he will risk next Saturday, belts that he conquered with a KOT11 over the American Caleb Plant, victory that marked a historic milestone by becoming the first Latin American fighter to wear 4 belts simultaneously, which he will put at stake this Saturday, as it was said.

Charlo has not fought since May 14, 2022, when he knocked out Brian Castañoto win the 4 crowns, after a draw in July of the previous year. He had previously knocked out Tony Harrison in 11 in December 2019 and Dominican Jeison Rosario in 8 on September 26, 2020..

FLOATING DOUBTS….

We left the epilogue of the article for this exposition.

However, after the resounding and historic victory over Plant, the Jalisco native, who is undoubtedly, contrary to the opinion of many experts, one of the best Mexican boxers in history. “By their works ye shall know them,” left the majority of fans with the impression that he seemed to have entered into a process of decline.

After that resounding victory over Plant, he faced the light heavyweight Russian Bivol for the title, who dominated him with relative ease in a disputed 115-113 close triple decision -most saw Bivol as the clear winner- and then defeated Gennady Golovkin opaquely in the third fight between the two, of which he won two with a draw, and in the most recent he beat English John Ryder by unanimous decision, without looking very convincing, on May 6 of this year.

Those 2 gloomy performances are the ones that have generated the doubts surrounding “Canelo”. For many, such demonstrations seem to indicate that the triumphal path is already closing for him. For that reason, doubts have grown regarding what could happen in Las Vegas this Saturday and uncertainty floats in the air.

However, this writer presumes that “Canelo” Alvarez will end up with his hand raised by the referee. And, from what is highlighted in the title, that “the good big one always…,…”, he should get it by either of the two possible ways. Although it is not supposed to be easy. 

It should be noted that if the Mexican wins, the table would be set for a couple of more fights, or at least one of them, that the fans would surely like to see:

One, a rematch against Bivol to clear up any doubts left by their first fight.

The other, vs. the Phoenix fighter, of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent, 25-year-old, 6’4″ tall, David Benavidez, the Red Flag, who has knocked out 23 of 27 opponents, with no losses or draws, and whom “Canelo” has long since put on the waiting list, for unknown, or suspicious, reasons.

Benavidez, WBC super middleweight interim champion, holds the historical place of being the youngest ever to hold the title at 168 pounds, a feat he accomplished at 22 years, 8 months and 22 days on 9/28/18 with a knockout in 9 over Anthony Dirrell, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. He lost the title at the scale on August 15, 3 years ago, when he fought and knocked out Colombian Roamer Angulo in 10. He regained it on May 21 last year with a KO3 vs. Canadian David Lemiux and defended it against Caleb Plant, with a UD on March 25 last year.