Alvarez-Munguia Thoughts

Recent times in the sport of Boxing have been to some it up in a word, “Strange.” Strange in the sense that what has gone on prior to a scheduled bout outside the ring, has turned out to mean as much or more than the fights themselves when they finally take place inside the ring. By now, we are all familiar with the erratic behavior of one Ryan Garcia that occurred before and after his victory over Devin Haney on April 20th, which has taken yet another turn when it was revealed that the fighter, who had scored an impressive twelve round majority decision over Haney in Brooklyn, NY at the Barclays Center, tested positive for banned substances before and after the fight in tests conducted by the Voluntary Anti-Dopping Agency (VADA), which regularly oversees such procedures in combat sports. While the circumstances of Garcia will continue to play out for better or worse, which this observer stands by his previous comments before and after his bout with Haney, the Boxing world focused on what I personally believe to be one of the better fights that had been made thus far on the 2024 schedule when Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez made his sixth title defense against the dangerous undefeated top contender and former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia on May 4th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.

As much as I would like to tell the reader, both those who are knowledgable of the sport and follow both the fights themselves as well as the coverage yours truly has provided for nearly three decades, that the story of this encounter was simply one between two of the top stars in the sport meeting for the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world as the latest attraction for the sport during Cinco de Mayo weekend, unfortunately there is more to the story, that took place in the days prior to the fight. In the interest of honesty with the reader, in light of recent events in the sport like the one mentioned above that had taken place previously, I would prefer to discuss what happened in the ring on May 4th before discussing what happened beforehand, which cast a shadow over what at least on paper had the makings of a Fight of the Year candidate.

Of course, it is not often that the sport is treated to an encounter between two of the top stars of the sport. One, who has been arguably the sport’s top economic draw for several years, the other arguably a rising star that may ultimately occupy that position one day. Two fighters with significant fan followings and both who more often than not, give a Boxing fan their money’s worth whenever they compete.  

What stood out to this observer, though at the same time was not surprising was Munguia started this fight aggressively and appeared to try to execute a fight plan with an emphasis of working of his jab and trying to attack Alvarez with volume punching, throwing combinations and keeping Alvarez on the defensive. For a time, the challenger’s tactics appeared to be working, there was even one exchange during the early rounds where Munguia appeared to pop the head of the champion back with a crisp, but fast triple jab. 

After three rounds, I felt that Munguia’s approach was enough to win two of those rounds. I did question however,  whether the high pace in which Munguia was fighting would ultimately turn against him as the fight progressed. One of the trademarks of Saul Alvarez as his career has gone on is his ability to adjust his fight plan as a fight goes on. While Munguia established himself early, Alvarez, a precision counter puncher among the best in the sport, bided his time and waited for his opportunity to strike. 

Such an opportunity would emerge in round four when in the midst of an exchange, the champion would connect with a perfectly timed right uppercut to the head that dropped Munguia. Despite being knocked down for the first time in his career by a shot he did not see, Munguia showed his mettle by getting up, showing an ability to recover, and doing so while under heavy offensive fire from Alvarez.

It was the moment in the fight however, which signaled a turning point in the bout. For it was from that knockdown in the fourth round onward that Alvarez seized control of the fight.  He did this by established, despite Munguia's attempts to maintain a high pace and keep punches coming at Alvarez to the body and head, when Alvarez threw his punches whether it was a short combination where he took the lead, single punches, or counter punches, his punches were harder, did more damage, and dictated the end and flow of the fight. 

Round after round the pattern remained the same. Munguia often trying to bring the fight to Alvarez, the champion doing his best to deflect the challenger's punches either with his gloves, or head movement, and making the most out of the openings Munguia left him to throw and land crisp combinations, power punches, and counter punches. Although Munguia have it everything he had and never stopped trying to land the proverbial “Fight Turning" blow till the final bell, the outcome was academic as Alvarez would retain his undisputed championship via a convincing twelve round unanimous decision.

The sixth successful title defense for Alvarez was simply as dominant as he has been in his entire career, short of him getting a knockout victory. Although he was indeed forced to go the distance for the fifth consecutive time and this forced to box sixty rounds in the process over that stretch, the Undisputed Super-Middleweight champion of the world showed in this fight against a truly dangerous opponent that came to fight that he is far from done, despite some recent criticism that perhaps after sixty-four professional fights prior to this bout, that perhaps his inability to score knockouts in recent times may be a sign that there may be signs of decline in the thirty-three year old four-division world champion. For now, Alvarez has put a stop to those whispers. It would be nice if that were all that needed to be said. 

Unfortunately, the shadow that loomed over what should have been voted simply as two stars of the sport, both in their prime facing each other, must now be discussed. A sub-plot that emerged in the days before the fight centered around Oscar De La Hoya, the former world champion, Hall of Famer, who promotes Munguia and was the a longtime promoter of Alvarez, took his opportunity to fire back in response to Alvarez who had a highly publicized and ugly split with him in 2020. While Alvarez has made accusations in the years since his split from De La Hoya and his company Golden Boy Promotions, at a press conference days before the fight De La Hoya finally responded to his former client saying in essence that he feels Alvarez has forgotten who helped him reach the level he currently is at in the sport and saying his name should be spoken with respect. De La Hoya also addressed his struggles with alcoholism, something that Alvarez has to put it kindly, criticized him for publicly since their split . Alvarez in response got up from his position at a table on stage and proceeded to attempt to get to De La Hoya before being stopped by security that were in attendance.

While some will dismiss this as simply “Prefight Hype" and utter nonsense, much like the recent conduct of Ryan Garcia, also promoted by De La Hoya, and a former stablemate of Alvarez under trainer Eddy Reynoso, I have a simple question for the reader. Where is the responsibility and accountability to the sport.

The responsibility of those in the sport like Alvarez, Garcia, and De La Hoya to represent Boxing with conduct becoming of professionals, responsibility to not only represent the sport well and hopefully help in assisting to grow Boxing for future generations, and the accountability from those who oversee, sanction, and regulate the sport to ensure that not only Boxing as a sport is respected, but to hopefully ensure that failures to adhere to professional standards/conduct are met with disciplinary action.

In short, all three have failed to uphold such a standard recently. Although some may find humor in such conduct, it ultimately hurts a sport that already has too many flaws and things that can and should be criticized including, but not limited to an over use, abuse, and reliance on a dying model of pay-per-view. While the latter has been something yours truly has criticized frequently and will continue to do so as long as it continues to not benefit the sport or the fans who support it, if those who regulate, sanction, and oversee the seemingly have little interest in actually regulating and ensuring the sport is held in high regard, an approach that one often would not see in other organized sports, why bother regulating at all? Perhaps Boxing should now be viewed in the same vein as Professional Wrestling.

Although I as one who also spent several years covering that industry as well as Boxing and other combat sports am being sarcastic with the aforementioned statement, the bottom line is without adequate oversight to not only ensure rules and regulations are followed before, during, and after fights, and those in the sport conduct themselves as professionals as they are supposed to be, it mind as well be held in the same regard as an entertainment realm, which sadly, despite it's status as a form of live-action performance art and the physical risks performers take being well known, is still viewed by some as a joke.

Boxing deserves better. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth." 

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Can Munguia Get A Shot At Alvarez By Beating Ryder?

The month of January 2024 in the sport of Boxing will come to a close on Saturday, January 27th with an intriguing battle in Boxing's 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. An encounter that some might label a “Crossroads Fight." This observer is referring to the fight between undefeated former WBO Jr. Middleweight world champion Jaime Munguia and former multi-time world title challenger John Ryder. A fight that will take place in Phoenix, AZ at the Footprint Center and csn be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN.

What makes this fight interesting is it features one fighter in Munguia, who after having a successful reign as a world champion in the Jr. Middleweight division, has remained unbesten, but has not been able to secure an opportunity to fight for another world championship in either the 160lb. Middleweight or now as a 168lb. Super-Middleweight. While some might argue that Munguia deserves the label as being an avoided fighter in and around what is at times referred to as a “Weight Neighborhood," he has remained not only undefeated, but also as a potential opponent for the current Undisputed world champion of the Super-Middleweight division, Saul “Canelo" Alvarez.

With the obvious aim of trying to secure a title shot against Alvarez, Munguia, who is undefeated in forty-two professional fights with thirty-three knockouts, will turn to a man who's most recent outing was against Alvarez. Yours truly is referring to John Ryder, who traveled to Mexico in May of last year where he put forth a very “Game" effort in losing a twelve round unanimous decision in a failed attempt to dethrone Alvarez. 

This presents an interesting scenario as this fight approaches that is somewhat of an unwritten approach that is implemented at times by fighters who are labeled as avoided by trying to face fighters that have faced their target opponent in an attempt to stir not only public opinion, but also said target into a potential encounter. While this approach is in some ways as old as the sport itself, the obvious danger to said approach is by establishing a common opponent between the fighter seeking opportunity and the target opposition, it also allows the fighter with the previous experience against the target opponrnt, in this case Alvarez, an opportunity to bounce back and thus try to themself secure another opportunity.

Such a scenario is often interesting because of several factors. The most obvious among them is the question of whether the result of the fighter looking for an opportunity with a target opponent against a fighter who fought that potential opponent will be any different or perhaps better should that fighter also defeat said opponent. In this case, Alvarez defeated John Ryder via a unanimous decision in a fight where, despite being dropped and suffering a beating over twelve rounds including a broken nose, Ryder was able to go the distance with the champion and even had some success in the latter stages of that fight. The fact that Alvarez though having retained his undisputed championship convincingly, could not stop Ryder inside the distance will obviously create the potential comparison with Munguia, a fighter that has a near 80% career knockout percentage.

While some were critical of Ryder getting that opportunity against Alvarez, despite being a mandatory challenger at the time, the determined effort he put forth in that fight endeared him to Boxing fans and even though some might view him as a sacrificial opponent for Munguia, Ryder is still one of the top fighters in the Super-Middleweight division and no doubt views this fight as an opportunity to catapult himself back into the discussion of potential challengers for Alvarez. Ryder going twelve hard rounds with one of the top stars in the sport and withstanding everything Alvarez threw at him til the final bell, likely gives him confidence going into this fight against one of Boxing's noted “Knockout Artists."

Although Munguia has at times struggled to maintain that reputation as he has moved up in weight, he has scored knockouts in three of his last four bouts. With this in mind, the main question going into this fight will be whether Ryder can withstand Munguia’s punching power. John Ryder is a seasoned veteran who knows how to grind out tough decisions by forcing his opponents to engage in rough and often grueling fights where the main tactic has been his ability to apply pressure.

Whether or not Ryder can do that against someone of Munguia's reputation remains to be seen. It is also important to keep in mind, despite Munguia's ability to score quick and often devastating knockouts, there have been times throughout his career where even his best efforts, some fighters, much like Ryder was able to do against Alvarez, were able to go the distance with Munguia, most notably former world title challengers Gabriel Roaado and most recently Sergiy Derevyanchenko, who Munguia was able to drop, but could not finish. 

While it is by no means set in stone that the winner of this fight will be in the immediate future for Alvarez, who likely will have some mandatory title defenses in the pipeline in order to remain an undisputed champion, nevertheless, there is an opportunity for both Munguia and Ryder to try and produce the type of performance that will drum up public demand for either to get an opportunity to fight for the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world. Only time will tell whether the winner of this fight will be able to maneuver themselves into such an opportunity during 2024 or beyond.

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

Munguia vs. Ryder takes place on Saturday, January 27th at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. The card can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning with preliminary bouts at 5:30PM ET/2:30PM PT. This will be followed by the main card beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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Taylor Becomes Undisputed Champion In Two Weight Divisions, Benavidez Breaks Down Andrade

Thanksgiving weekend 2023 in the world of Boxing was highlighted by two marquee attractions on November 25th in the Women's Jr. Welterweight and Men's Super-Middleweight divisions. First, it was a highly anticipated rematch for the Undisputed Women’s Jr. Welterweight championship of the world as undefeated champion Chantelle Cameron attempted to score her second victory in a six month span by giving Undisputed Lightweight world champion Katie Taylor a second opportunity to become an undisputed world champion in two weight divisions.

In some ways, this rematch offered little upside for the defending champion beyond perhaps a good payday as well as a chance to prove that her victory over Taylor in the first fight was not a case of her catching Taylor on an off night. The second encounter would take place at the same location as the first fight, the 3 Arena in Dublin, in Taylor's home country of Ireland. As this observer pointed out in previewing this fight, despite Taylor having what amounted to a “Home Ring Advantage" in the first fight, Cameron was able to win under those conditions in what was a highly competitive and close fight. 

The second fight was also competitive, but the difference between the two fights became the approach of Taylor. At her best, Katie Taylor is a combination puncher that attacks in short, but explosive spurts and uses lateral movement to control the tempo of the combat. In the first fight in May of this year, she had success in spots with this approach, but was unable to nullify Cameron's pressure as she was frequently pushed back against the ropes and not able to use her movement to her advantage particularly during the second half of that fight.

This time around, Taylor used her movement as well as a consistent jab to control the combat along with mixing in the short combinations that have been her trademark throughout her career. The primary difference throughout much of this rematch was Taylor's ability to turn Cameron whenever she got close to the ropes, which kept the champion from being able to get her punches off with consistency and also made the pressure that Cameron applied less effective as compared to the first meeting between these two world champions.

Cameron also suffered a deep gash on her forehead as a result of an accidental clash of heads in the third round. Despite a gash that yours truly felt was severe enough to warrant a stoppage of the the bout, which if it had been before the completion of the fourth round, it would have resulted in a no contest, Cameron showed why she is a champion by fighting through what had to be severe pain as well as the punishment Taylor was able to dish out. She was also able to come on as the fight progressed as she had done in the first fight.

In a scenario that was similar to their first encounter, Taylor seemed to struggle over the second half of the fight. While this could be attributed to the high pace in which the fight was fought, as was the case the first time around, Cameron seemed to land the harder punches of the two as Taylor fought the effects of fatigue. Unlike in the first fight however, just as it seemed as though she did not have much left to give, Taylor also showed the heart of a champion by gutting it out, continuing to avoid being put on the ropes as much as she could and trading punches with Cameron till the final bell.

At the conclusion of the ten round undisputed world championship bout, I felt that Taylor had done enough to win, but the rally that Cameron was able to put forth during the second half of the fight, as was the case the first time around, resulted in a close majority decision. The outcome of the second fight would be different as Taylor would be declared the winner making her the latest fighter, male or female to join an exclusive club as being an Undisputed world champion in multiple divisions.

The stage appears to be set for a third fight between Taylor and Cameron in 2024. Although Katie Taylor’s future place in any Boxing Hall of Fame is more than secure and regardless of what happens in a potential third fight, that will not change, the question now becomes how soon would that third bout between her and Cameron take place. At thirty-six years old, Taylor has been through a lot of grueling battles throughout her career and several in the last several years. There is no question that Chantelle Cameron deserves a rematch because after all, she gave Taylor a rematch that she did not have to give, but both fighters deserve significant time to rest and heal before considering a third fight. 

This brings us to the second marquee attraction that took place on November 25th. A battle between two former world champions at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV as undefeated former world champions David Benavidez and Demetrius Andrade met in what amounted to an elimination bout to determine the next mandatory challenger in the World Boxing Council’s (WBC) Super-Middleweight ratings for current Undisputed champion Saul “Canelo" Alvarez.

The fight, which brought together arguably two of the most avoided fighters in and around the Super-Middleweight division due to the respective styles of Benavidez and Andrade, also holds the distinction of headlining the final pay-per-view produced by United States premium cable network Showtime, who will soon exit the sport after a thirty-seven year run as one of Boxing’s power players in broadcasting the sport. It was a main event that did not disappoint.

Benavidez is a fighter that typically starts slow, but gradually picks up his output as a fight progresses. For the first time in either fighter's career, they were faced with a scenario of facing a fighter with a style that was in some ways similar to their own, but one that they had not had to face themselves. Demetrius Andrade is a fighter that is very crafty, elusive, and has proven to be a difficult puzzle to solve. The first three rounds of this fight was largely dictated on Andrade’s ability to use angles, out throw, and land fast combinations on Benavidez.

Although this initially had the appearance of many of Andrade's previous fights where he seemed to be too quick and elusive and was beating Benavidez to the punch at this stage in the bout, what could not be ignored was the size difference between the two. Despite being similar in both height and weight, Benavidez appeared as though he had the body frame of a Light-Heavyweight or a Cruiserweight going against a fighter in Andrade, who won his first world championship as a 154lb. Jr. Middleweight. While this fight was fought in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division, it appeared that Andrade might have hit his ceiling in terms of moving up in weight standing in the ring with Benavidez. 

It would not take long before the appearance of Andrade facing a naturally bigger fighter began to show itself in the fight as wherever Benavidez was able to land punches, it seemed to hurt Andrade. The turning point in the fight would occur in the fourth round when Benavidez connected with a right hand that landed high on the head of Andrade that sent the former two-division world champion down on his knees on the canvas. Although Andrade was able to get up from the knockdown, he was clearly hurt and the offensive rhythm that seemed to give him an early advantage in the first three rounds of the scheduled twelve round bout became less and less as Andrade went into survival mode in trying to get his bearings. In the process, Benavidez administered significant punishment to the body and head. 

At the conclusion of the fifth round Referee Thomas Taylor walked with Andrade back to his corner and told him that he needed to show him something. This coincided with Taylor having Andrade examined by a ringside physician between rounds five and six. Despite looking like a fighter that was in the process of suffering what was becoming a one way beating, Andrade was given the chance to continue. In round six, Benavidez continued to batter Andrade, knocking his mouthpiece out twice. Although Andrade tried his best to fight back, there was not much force behind his punches.

As he had done after the previous round, Taylor followed Andrade back to his corner after round six and informed him that he could not see another round like what had just occurred. After a brief exchange between Taylor and Andrade’s trainer and father Paul Andrade, the fight was stopped giving Benavidez a convincing stoppage victory over a fighter regarded as one of the most defensively sound fighters in the entire sport.

Whether or not this victory, as convincing as it was for Benavidez will finally result in him getting an opportunity to fight Saul Alvarez for the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world in 2024 remains to be seen. Unfortunately for Benavidez, it may depend on what happens with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, who have promoted many of Benavidez’ bouts including his victory over Andrade as the PBC’s future remains uncertain as they continue to look for a new platform for their stable of fighters after losing broadcast homes with both Fox Sports and Showtime here in the United States over the last two years. With no new platform either traditional or streaming based announced to broadcast PBC promoted Boxing cards in 2024, as of this writing and Showtime and it's parent company Paramount Global preparing to exit Boxing before Christmas, it may be time for not only Benavidez, but all fighters currently competing under the PBC banner to not only explore other options, but to also come to the realization that if they want to compete on a regular basis, a problem that has become more and more frequent for fighters in the PBC’s stable in recent years as their network agreements have evaporated and both Fox Sports and Showtime have bowed out of the sport, the insistence on the pay-per-view model is not conducive to a successful career going into 2024 and is directly responsible for the state in which the PBC currently finds itself in. 

“And That's The Boxing Truth."

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What Berlanga Can Take Away From Victory Over Quigley

The storyline prior to rising unbeaten Super-Middleweight contender Edgar Berlanga 's fight against former Middleweight world title challenger Jason Quigley on June 24th at The Theater in Madison Square Garden was whether or not Berlanga, who holds the North American Boxing Organization (NABO) championship in the Super-Middleweight division, could produce a performance that would serve as a strong argument for him as being a potential challenger for current undisputed champion of the division Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. As most know however, a slight wrinkle emerged two days before the bout when it was revealed that Alvarez had signed a three-fight deal with the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, which moves Alvarez at least for the time being away from digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN and at least for now to United States premium cable network Showtime, which for Berlanga, who recently signed with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, who had promoted several of Alvarez' recent fights, now finding himself without what seemed like an obvious path towards facing Alvarez.

While this could obviously change given not only the state of the PBC's deal with Showtime, and the network's merger this  week with parent company's Paramount  and it's digital subscription streaming network Paramount+ as part of a major corporate restructuring, which leaves the future of Boxing programming on the soon to be renamed Paramount+ with Showtime up in the air, for the immediate, the news regarding Alvarez had to at minimum cause a distraction for Berlanga prior to what should have been viewed as a step up in his career. The elements of the business end of the sport notwithstanding, the bout between Berlanga and Quigley was one of youth versus experience.

It was the experience of Quigley that stood out early as he implemented a strategy with an emphasis on movement, giving angles, and trying to counter Berlanga as he came forward. Though such an approach is not always appreciated, particularly amongst fans that prefer more toe to toe action, it did establish, despite the belief based on his knockout loss to Demetrius Andrade in November 2021, that Quigley was not interested in cooperating with the stance of some that he was an opponent designed to give the young unbeaten rising contender Berlanga a showcase win and potentially a quick knockout after being forced to go the distance in his previous four fights. What was also noticeable about Quigley's strategy was his willingness to try to catch Berlanga in between the punches he was throwing, which seemed to be effective in spots throughout this fight.

Beelanga's pressure and harder punches when he was able to connect however, gave him an edge. Despite how effective Quigley's tactics appeared to be, what turned out to work against him were four knockdowns throughout the course of the fight. In rounds three, five, and two knockdowns in the twelfth and final round, Beelanga's punching power and pressure were able to get to Quigley and put him on the canvas. Although the knockdowns in rounds three and five appeared to be what are often referred to as "Flash Knockdowns" where Quigley did not appear to be significantly hurt, those knockdowns prove more often than not to be detrimental in terms of scoring for the fighter that is knocked down because it creates a deficit in points that without being able to score knockdowns of your own, can prove to be difficult to overcome. In this case, the knockdowns could give a false sense that this fight was one-sided in Berlanga's favor simply because they created a significant deficit in terms of scoring that Quigley could not overcome in losing a unanimous decision.

In actuality, Quigley's approach throughout this fight succeeded in keeping Berlanga from being able to dictate how it was being fought, unable at times to get into a consistent offensive rhythm, and at times appearing to make Berlanga look discouraged. While with the exception of the four knockdowns he was able to score, this probably was not the type performance Berlanga was looking for in terms of trying to make a statement as a potential challenger for Saul Alvarez down the line, sometimes a win is a win and his victory was still convincing albeit without the knockout that most were probably looking for or expecting.

Although this victory over Jason Quigley marked the fifth time Berlanga has had to go the distance after starting his career with sixteen straight knockouts, this observer does not necessarily see that as a negative. It is indeed true that if a fighter scores knockouts and can do so in devastating fashion that said fighter will almost always move up the ladder of contention quicker, receive more attention, and likely get an opportunity to fight for a world championship quicker than those who take a more measured approach. The potential drawback for those fighters who are able to carve out reputations as "Knockout Artists" is they do not necessarily get the chance to fully develop their skills, nor do they get the experience needed to learn how to adapt as a fight progresses into the middle and late rounds against fighters of varying styles, who will not always cooperate with the desired scenario of a rising star or his/her team of a quick knockout. While going the distance on a string of several fights may be seen as a red flag in the eyes of some, it is to be expected when a prospect turned contender steps up in the caliber of competition as they approach challenging for a world championship. Criticism no matter what a fighter might do or how they perform is something that will unfortunately also come with the territory, but the experience fighters gain at these stages is invaluable and no doubt will benefit Edgar Berlanga as he continues to move forward in his career.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

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Alvarez-Ryder Weights

The official weigh-in for Saturday's DAZN Pay-Per-View main event (In the United States and Canada) at Akron Stadium Undisputed World Super-Middleweight chamipnship fight between defending champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and WBO number one Super-Middleweight contender John Ryder took place on Friday in Guadalajara, Mexico. Ryder, who will be making his second attempt at a world championship came in right at the Super-Middleweight limit of 168lbs.

Alvarez, who will be the overwhelming crowd favorite, as this fight has been promoted as a homecoming, came in looking lean at 167 1/2lbs. The bout is scheduled for twelve rounds and will have all four world championships, the WBO, WBC,WBA,IBF crowns which comprise the Undisputed Super-Middleweight chamipnship of the world will be on the line. Weights for the undercard bouts on the card are unavailable as of this writing.

Alvarez vs. Ryder takes place on Saturday, May 6th at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. In North America, the fight can be seen on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $54.99. Outside of the United States and Canada, the bout can be seen on DAZN internationally as part of a standard monthly or annual DAZN subscription and an on demand replay of the bout as well as it's full undercard will be made available following the event. The broadcast will begin at 6PM ET/3PM PT with The DAZN Boxing Show: Before the Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts. The pay-per-view broadcast will begin at 7PM ET/4PM PT. (* U.S. Times Only*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe and verify if pay-per-view access is required in your region for this event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

For non-DAZN subscribers/users in North America, the card will also be available on traditional cable/satellite providers and PPV.com and the PPV.com app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs, for $79.99. Visit www.PPV.com to order and for instructions on where to download and access the PPV.com app or contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information.

(*Card and start time subject to change, check DAZN.com for local start times internationally.)

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Can Ryder Upset Alvarez?

For some fighters, the path to a world championship fight is not as simple as it might seem. Some are able to get their opportunity off of the strength of an impressive win, which in turn serves as the catalyst to drum up support for said fighter to fight for a world title. While this may seem like the quickest path to one getting a shot, there are countless other fighters that must for lack of a better term rely on the structure that be in the sport, which means for a fighter to work their way to a mandatory position to force a shot at a world championship.

This is precisely the path that Super-Middleweight contender and former world title challenger John Ryder has taken, which has seen him fight his way to the number one contender's position in the World Boxing Organization's (WBO) Super-Middleweight ratings, which has now resulted in the native of London, England now being on the brink of the biggest fight of his career. A fight where he will challenge current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez for all the marbles in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. Ryder's second opportunity to fight for a world championship will not just be for an undisputed championship, but will also come against one of the biggest stars in the sport when he faces Alvarez in Guadalajara, Mexico on May 6th, which can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN and DAZN Pay-Per-View here in the United States and in Canada.

By now, this observer does not need to go into a long in-depth chronicle of the career of Saul Alvarez, a fighter known to his fans simply as "Canelo." Alvarez' status as a future Hall of Famer is cemented at this stage of his career. The current Undisputed Super-Middleweight King has however, hit a bump in the road recently when he was thoroughly out boxed when he moved up to Light-Heavyweight to challenge undefeated WBA world champion Dmitry Bivol in May of last year. Although Alvarez was able to bounce back from the twelve round unanimous decision loss to Bivol by decisioning Middleweight world champion Gennady Golovkin in their third meeting in September of last year, there are some who question whether Alvarez has truly recovered from the loss to Bivol from a psychological standpoint.

It may indeed be true that Alvarez was out boxed by a master boxer in Bivol, but this observer does not necessarily feel that, that loss or what proved to be a more difficult fight than some might have expected the third time around against a fighter in Gennady Golovkin, who is closer to the end of his career than he is the prime of his career, necessarily signals a decline in Alvarez, but there is no disputing that 2022 was not the best year for him. Now as Alvarez prepares to defend his crown for the first time in 2023, he will be fulfilling his mandatory defense obligations as far as the WBO is concerned when he faces Ryder in his hometown at the Akron Stadium. What has all the appearance of a "Homecoming Fight" for Alvarez and has even been marketed as such taking place during Cinco De Mayo weekend, this may turn out to be a more dangerous fight than some might expect.

Despite suffering five losses in his career up to this point, John Ryder has only been stopped once in his career and that stoppage came eight years ago at the hands of Nick Blackwell. Ryder has since proven to be quite durable and even in fights he has lost such as to former Super-Middleweight world champion Callum Smith, in his first attempt at a world championship, there is some argument as to Ryder having been on the bad end of some decisions that could have gone either way. Since his loss to Smith in November 2019, Ryder has won four straight fights that has served to build a wave of momentum including a twelve round split decision win over former IBF Middleweight world champion Daniel Jacobs in February of last year that secured him the number one ranking in the WBO ratings.

In addition to the momentum he has been able to build going into this fight, the challenger may have something else working in his favor. Although there is no disputing that Alvarez is one of the biggest stars in the sport, his position has also afforded him the opportunity to schedule his fights or at least his intention to fight well in advance of when he actually competes. In the current scenario, Alvarez has already stated that he would like a rematch with Dmitry Bivol in September. Therefore, the possibility exists that the champion could well be overlooking an opponent with an eye on avenging his defeat to Bivol.

While it is important to keep in mind that John Ryder will be walking into the equivalent of a lion's den by facing Alvarez in his hometown with a potential record crowd of supporters on his corner, Ryder literally has nothing to lose here and if Alvarez is not taking this fight seriously, it could play right into his hands. How can John Ryder pull off an upset on what will be hostile ground? 

The most obvious approach will be for Ryder to establish the tempo of the combat immediately and make it difficult for Alvarez to get into a rhythm. This can prove to be easier said than done, however, Ryder does have a style where he does come forward and he can make fights difficult on opponents by grinding out rounds where he is able to outwork them in volume of punches, while also making it difficult for his opponent to get his punches off. While the approach is not necessarily the most entertaining to watch, it is effective when Ryder is able to execute it effectively.

What Ryder needs to keep in mind however, in his approach of how he tries to attack Alvarez, is that Alvarez has always been very compact with his offense and in particular is a very dangerous counter puncher in addition to having punching power. Although anything can happen once two fighters are in the midst of battle, there are likely some who feel that John Ryder will essentially have to fight a perfect fight here if he is going to have a chance to win this fight, particularly if the bout goes the distance as every advantage one could point to outside of the matching between the two fighters, also favors the champion from the home crowd advantage, to that advantage possibly being able to influence how a bout is scored, which could prove crucial if there are rounds throughout the fight that might seem close.

Although judges are not supposed to be influenced in any way when they score a fight beyond what is going on in the ring, the atmosphere of a massive and loud crowd does indeed play a role otherwise one is not human. This does not mean to suggest any possible corruption, but the point this observer is making is with what is likely to be a massive and loud crowd in attendance, the possibility that judges might have trouble maintaining focus due to noise is very real, which unfortunately can play a role in the outcome if the fight does indeed go all twelve rounds.

Despite the fact that everything seems to favor Alvarez and keeping in mind that this is a mandatory defense of one of the  world championships that he holds that compromise the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world, a real question that should be asked as this fight approaches in addition to whether Alvarez is looking ahead towards a potential rematch with Dmitry Bivol, is just how long will Alvarez remain in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. At this stage of his career and keeping in mind that he did briefly hold a world championship in the Light-Heavyweight division, it is likely a fight by fight process for him as opposed to committing to trying to have as lengthy and successful reign as champion as possible. Whether John Ryder can surprise many and dethrone Alvarez in his "Homecoming" remains to be seen.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Alvarez vs. Ryder takes place on Saturday, May 6th at Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. In North America, the fight can be seen on DAZN Pay-Per-View for $54.99. Outside of the United States and Canada, the bout can be seen on DAZN internationally as part of a standard monthly or annual DAZN subscription and an on demand replay of the bout as well as it's full undercard will be made available following the event. The broadcast will begin at 6PM ET/3PM PT with The DAZN Boxing Show: Before the Bell, which will feature preliminary bouts. The pay-per-view broadcast will begin at 7PM ET/4PM PT. (* U.S. Times Only*)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe and verify if pay-per-view access is required in your region for this event please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

For non-DAZN subscribers/users in North America, the card will also be available on traditional cable/satellite providers and PPV.com and the PPV.com app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices/Smart TVs, for $79.99. Visit www.PPV.com to order and for instructions on where to download and access the PPV.com app or contact your cable/satellite provider for ordering information.

(*Card and start time subject to change, check DAZN.com for local start times internationally.)

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison

Benavidez-Plant Thoughts

As strictly a Boxing match, the encounter between former Super-Middleweight world champions David Benavidez and Caleb Plant checked a lot of boxes that a Boxing fan looks for in the lead up to the fight. A clash of styles that when matched against each other was likely to produce a competitive fight. A rivalry between the two fighters that appeared to grow into legitimate bad blood, and the sub-plot of potentially getting another opportunity to fight for a world championship. With the fight fan's list of what to look forward to checked off, it was time for the two fighters to converge on the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV on March 25th to do battle. 

In previewing this bout, this observer stated that it would likely come down to whether or not Plant would be able to deal with the punching power and hand speed of Benavidez. It was also crucial in my eyes that Benavidez not allow Plant, a fighter known for his elusiveness, to be able to set the tempo of the fight and could not start slow as he had done in previous fights as the possibility existed that Plant could build an early lead on the scorecards

For most of the first six rounds of the fight, this is exactly what Plant was able to accomplish. Using his ability to move laterally and approach Benavidez at varying angles, Plant was able to pick his shots by throwing and landing short, crisp combinations to the body and head and then move before Benavidez could return offense. This essentially was the pattern in which the fight was fought for a significant period of time. What yours truly also stated was that Benavidez needed to avoid following Plant around, needed to find a way to cut the ring off to try and limit his movement, and needed to let his hands go consistently.

Throughout most of the first half of the twelve round bout, Benavidez seemingly fell into that trap, which is a testament to what appeared to be an effective fight plan that Caleb Plant was able to execute. It also should not be overlooked that as Benavidez followed Plant around, it was Plant who was able to frequently make the undefeated former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion miss with the punches that he did throw. Plant, the former IBF Super-Middleweight world champion, also succeeded in keeping Benavidez from being able to establish any kind of consistent rhythm offensively by implementing this strategy, with an emphasis on movement and trying to out box his opponent.

At the halfway point of the fight, I felt that Plant had won five of the first six rounds based largely on his execution of his fight plan. While I did not feel the bout was close in terms of scoring at this point, one thing that also stood out was when he was able to connect with his punches, David Benavidez was the harder puncher of the two. Although that should not be surprising to most knowledge Boxing fans, who are familiar with the styles of the two fighters, the question that formed in my mind as the fight progressed was whether or not power punches would be enough for Benavidez to be able to get the job done in this fight as it appeared going into the second half of the fight that he was being out boxed and out worked by Plant.

During the second half of the fight however, the ebb and flow changed as the pressure of Benavidez as well as fatigue began to slow Plant down, which made him more of a stationary target. This along with Benavidez being able to land punches more consistently, seemed in some ways to mirror Plant's only career defeat at the hands of current Undisputed Super-Middleweight world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who was able to gradually break Plant down and stop him in eleven rounds in their unification bout in November 2021. Much like Benavidez, Alvarez was able to land the harder shots particularly to the body, which slowed Plant down. In this case, perhaps because of what happened to him against Alvarez, Plant though slowed considerably as the bout progressed tried to go toe to toe with Benavidez, despite it not being to his advantage.

Some might also point to the fact that Caleb Plant was able to get away with what at times appeared to be excessive holding throughout the fight when Benavidez was able to get close. While the tactic of holding an opponent is one that a boxer uses both as a means of defense as well as a way to physically turn an opponent where they are not able to get punches off and then be able to maintain distance when separated by the referee, I will say that I felt the holding by Plant did border on excessive, particularly in the second half of the fight when he was unable to use his legs as he had done over the first six rounds to evade Benavidez.

It needs to be pointed out however, that skilled boxers as Caleb Plant certainly is will look to take advantage of whatever they are able to get away with as long as they are allowed to by the referee. The referee for this bout was Kenny Bayless, who is one of the most respected referees throughout the entire sport that is frequently called upon to officiate bouts all over the world, not just in the state of Nevada in a career where he has officiated close to 900 professional bouts as a referee, many of those bouts having been for world championship fights. Why am I taking the time to point out the credentials of the referee of this fight the reader might ask?

Well, if you are knowledgeable about the sport and you have spent as much time covering it as I have in having spent most of my life writing about and covering Boxing as well as other combat sports, you unfortunately get used to hearing the criticism of fans of referees, judges, and hear the subsequent accusations of potential corruption hurled in the direction of those who are criticized. Although I have not spent too much time as I write this column to see if there has been such criticism of Bayless, I do not feel there was anything suspicious going on in terms of potential corruption. I do feel however, that Bayless should have at least warned Plant about holding as the fight progressed. Referees and judges, like the rest of us, are human and are just as prone to having an off night at the office for lack of a better term as any of us. Bayless is still one of the best in the sport, but it is quite possible that he indeed had an off night here and that did serve to benefit Plant.

Unlike in the Alvarez fight where the effects of pressure, punishment, and fatigue led to his downfall, just as it appeared this fight was heading for a similar outcome, Plant was somehow able to survive a terrible beating that Benavidez dished out in the later rounds. This was particularly surprising in the eleventh round where I frankly thought he was taking too much punishment and wondered if Bayless or his corner would stop the fight as a result. Although Plant did not get knocked down during this period of the fight and deserves a lot of credit for being able to survive and go on to finish the fight, I felt the eleventh round was lopsided to the degree that scoring that round 10-8 in favor of Benavidez was appropriate. As it would turn out, that decision by yours truly would end up producing a rarity on my unofficial scorecard at the end of the fight.

At the end of the twelve round bout, I arrived with an even score in terms of rounds in having scored six rounds a piece between Benavidez and Plant. In points however because I scored the eleventh round 10-8, a score that most of the time is reserved for when there is a knockdown, in favor of Benavidez, I arrived with Benavidez winning the fight 115-113 in points, akin to a seven rounds to five scorecard. 

Ultimately, Benavidez would win the fight via unanimous decision by margins of 115-113 (Seven rounds to five), 116-112 (Eight rounds to four), and 117-111 (Nine rounds to three). While I do not feel a nine rounds to three scorecard was an accurate illustration of how close this fight was, it is indisputable that once Caleb Plant was not able to use his movement, the dynamic of the bout changed and it was a different type of fight from the second half of the contest on through the end of the fight. 

The victory for David Benavidez now moves him into a mandatory position to challenge Saul Alvarez as far as the World Boxing Council's (WBC) Super-Middleweight ratings is concerned. The likelihood of Benavidez getting that shot in the near future seems unlikely due both to Alvarez' upcoming title defense against WBO mandatory challenger John Ryder in May and assuming he retains his undisputed championship in that fight, his desire to seek a rematch with undefeated WBA Light-Heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol, who defeated Alvarez last year in defense of his Light-Heavyweight crown. This as well as the uncertainty of the Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) group of promoters, who currently promote Benavidez, seems to keep him out of the equation at least in the immediate future, though he did do his best to call Alvarez out for a fight later this year shortly after defeating Plant. 

As for Caleb Plant, the second loss of his career will do little to negatively affect his standing in the Super-Middleweight division. He has however, earned the chance to rest after what was a very tough and grueling fight. The uncertainty that the PBC, who also promotes Plant, currently finds itself in will likely allow Plant all the time he needs to recover and decide what he wants to do before going back to the drawing board. The one thing Plant can take from this loss is he performed well and even though he did lose this fight, the way he fought, particularly in the later rounds will endear him to fans going forward and his stock in the division will go up as a result.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Benavidez-Plant Preview

On Saturday, March 25th, two former world champions will enter the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV with the goal of taking one step closer to challenging once more for a world championship. This observer is referring to the encounter between David Benavidez and Caleb Plant. Two fighters who each know what it is to be a world champion in the talent-deep 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. A division currently ruled by Undisputed world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.

While the goal of both men is obviously an eventual fight with Alvarez, the encounter between the two, which will headline a pay-per-view card broadcast by Showtime Pay-Per-View here in the United States, could possibly be one of the best fights of the year. The reason for that is it is an interesting clash of styles between two boxer/punchers, but one who is more noted for his punching power than the other. David Benavidez is a former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion. He also has a rare distinction for being one of the few fighters to have held a world championship, but never lost his title in the ring. Some may recall that Benavidez, who won the title in 2017, becoming the youngest world champion in the history of the Super-Middleweight division in the process, was ultimately stripped of it by the World Boxing Council due to having tested positive for cocaine shortly after defeating Ronald Gavril for the title. The WBC then ruled that Benavidez was a "Champion in Recess," which allowed him to fight for the title again only to ultimately be stripped for failing to make weight prior to a scheduled title defense against Roamer Angelo.

Despite his struggles out of the ring, Benavidez has remained unbeaten in twenty-six professional fights and has scored knockouts in twenty-three of those bouts. Inside the ring, Benavidez has been a dominant force that has yet to be tested. Enter Caleb Plant.

Plant, as some may recall, had a lengthy reign as the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super-Middleweight world champion before being stopped in eleven rounds by Saul Alvarez in a unification bout for the Undisputed Super-Middleweight championship of the world. While Plant lost that fight, he made a good account of himself in defeat, particularly in the early rounds before eventually being broken down by Alvarez' pressure and body attack. While that loss is to date the only one Plant has suffered in his career, he obviously would like another opportunity against Alvarez. In his only fight since that loss, Plant scored a devastating knockout of former WBC Super-Middleweight world champion Anthony Dirrell in February of last year.

What this fight will come down to in my eyes is whether Plant will be able to deal with the punching power and hand speed of Benavidez. At his best, Caleb Plant is an elusive fighter, who in addition to having hand speed of his own, is known for his lateral movement and ability to use angles. These aspects of his skillset did for a time create problems for Alvarez before he was able to eventually break Plant down as that fight progressed. While Plant's knockout of Dirrell in his last fight was a brutal hook to the body/hook to the head combination, he is not known for his power and logic would suggest that he will need to try and implement a similar approach as he attempted to use against Alvarez, but obviously will look to correct the flaws in that approach that Alvarez ultimately took advantage of, if he wants to be successful in this fight.

The reason for this is Benavidez has exceptionally quick hands in addition to his punching power and Plant will need to be meticulous and tactical for the duration of the scheduled twelve round bout. Perhaps a flaw in Benavidez that Plant will look to take advantage of is that at times he can start slow and not let his hands go much in the early rounds. While obviously Plant should not base his entire approach on this, he must be elusive and try to resist the temptation to go toe to toe with Benavidez if he is able to connect more than occasionally with offense in the early rounds.

For David Benavidez, he must study Plant's fight with Alvarez and look at what Alvarez did that led to his being able to stop Plant late in the fight. Although implementing a similar strategy can be easier said than done, there are two aspects that Benavidez must keep in mind at all times in this fight. One, he needs to find a way to cut off the ring and try to limit Plant's ability to move and must do so early on in the fight as to not allow Plant to establish the tempo of the fight or give him the chance to potentially build up a lead on the scorecards. Benavidez must avoid following Plant around and must limit his movement. Secondly, Benavidez must let his hands go consistently from the outset. If he starts slow and allows Plant to dictate the combat, Benavidez might be in a position where he might need a knockout in the later rounds in order to maintain his undefeated record.

While this fight being the main event of a pay-per-view card in the present time when Showtime as the last premium cable network televising Boxing in the United States may be on its way out in similar fashion as former longtime rival HBO had done in 2018 following a corporate restructuring of its parent company, has drawn criticism of some as a similar restructuring is now taking place in Showtime's parent company Paramount Global, the fight between Benavidez and Plant is still one of the best fights that has been made recently at least on paper. Whether or not that ultimately translates to a memorable battle inside the ring on Saturday night March 25th remains to be seen, even if those broadcasting the fight are likely setting themselves up for failure in the form of underwhelming pay-per-view buy numbers as Boxing fans continue to reject what has become an overpriced, undervalued, and outdated revenue model for the sport that needs to change.

"And That's The Boxing Truth."

Benavidez vs. Plant takes place on Saturday, March 25th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The fight can be seen in the United States on Showtime Pay-Per-View beginning at 9PM ET/ 6PM PT. The pay-per-view event will be available on traditional cable/satellite providers as well as through the Showtime streaming app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. Contact your local cable/satellite provider for ordering information.

To order via and stream on the Showtime streaming app please visit: www.SHO.com/PPV for ordering information.

The event is also available for streaming for the aforementioned price through PPV.com and the PPV.com app on mobile, tablet, and connected streaming devices and Smart TVs. To order through PPV.com and for more information about compatible streaming devices, please visit: www.PPV.com

*Check your local listings internationally*

*Card and start time subject to change*

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison 

Alvarez-Saunders: The Road To Super-Middleweight Supremacy Continues

 

On Saturday, May 8^th the Boxing world will focus on AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX for one of the most anticipated fights of 2021. The Super-Middleweight unification clash between WBA/WBC Super-Middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and undefeated two-division world champion Billy Joe Saunders, the current WBO Super-Middleweight world champion. A unification bout, which will be broadcast globally by digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, that frankly represents a dangerous style match up for Alvarez, the fighter regarded as the top star in the entire sport in the eyes of many.

 

For the fighter known to fans simply as “Canelo”, this fight will be his third bout in six months after defeating previously undefeated WBA world champion Callum Smith last December in a bout where the vacant WBC world championship in the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division. Although it is rare to see a fighter of Alvarez’ level compete as often as this recent stretch in the present day of the sport of Boxing, from an old-school standpoint, the more active a fighter is regardless of their standing in the sport, theoretically the better they are conditioned and prepared for marquee fights such as this.

 

In his last bout in what was his first title defense of his unified portion of the Super-Middleweight world championship, Alvarez scored a third round stoppage of WBC number one mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL. A bout where frankly Alvarez did not face much resistance and one where he knocked Yildirim down before Yildirim quit on his stool at the conclusion of the third round. Although many Boxing fans criticized Alvarez for taking the bout against Yildirim based on an obvious skill difference between the two, fights such as that one served the purpose as both one that allows a star of the sport to stay busy in between marquee bouts as well as fulfill mandatory defense obligations of the sanctioning organizations, whose world championships Alvarez holds, which have to be fulfilled on an annual basis.

 

While Alvarez’ victory over Yildirim did not amount to much more than the aforementioned criteria, it also served as an unofficial “Tune-up” for the next marquee fight to come in the form of undefeated two-division world champion Billy Joe Saunders. Saunders, who will enter the fight unbeaten with a record of 30-0, with 14 Knockouts compared to Alvarez’ record of 55-1-2, with 37 Knockouts, has won world championships in the 160lb. Middleweight division as well as the WBO Super-Middleweight crown he currently holds.

 

A southpaw with an awkward and elusive style that has an emphasis on both lateral movement and hand speed, several of the marquee fighters in both the Middleweight and Super-Middleweight divisions have opted against fighting against Saunders. The reason for this has seemed to be that from a business perspective, Saunders has been a high risk/low reward option based on his having a style that is not always crowd-pleasing, but more specifically having a style that has presented a puzzle that opponents have yet to solve. 

 

Although Saunders has victories over notable opponents including Willie Monroe Jr, his last bout against longtime contender Martin Murray in December of last year, and former two-time IBO Super-Middleweight world champion Chris Eubank Jr., perhaps the most notable of his thirty career wins came against former WBO Middleweight world champion David Lemieux in December 2017. A bout that took place in Lemieux’ home country of Canada. Despite being at a disadvantage in terms of crowd support and in a scenario where one might have assumed that he might not have gotten a fair shake in terms of scoring, Saunders dominated a fighter in Lemieux, who is a “Knockout Artist” that was also a potential opponent for Saul Alvarez for a time, in earning a wide twelve round unanimous decision over him.

 

In some ways, the scenario the British-born and based Saunders found himself in for that bout against Lemieux may turn out to be the ideal preparation as he now prepares for the biggest fight of his career against the Mexican-born Alvarez, who will have sizable crowd support in AT&T Stadium from his rabid fanbase. The style match up between the two also provides some intrigue.

 

One could argue that stylistically this bout could be the most difficult bout for Alvarez since his September 2013 bout against Floyd Mayweather, a bout that to date remains the lone career defeat in Alvarez’ career. This is based on both Mayweather and Saunders being fighters with elusive styles that mixes defense with deceptive hand speed and power that many opponents have not been able to have consistent success in landing offense. While one could also argue that Alvarez has used that loss to Mayweather as not only motivation, but also as a way to improve on what Mayweather was able to take advantage of as well as his overall skillset, Saunders though having a different type of elusive style than Mayweather, appears to be the type of fighter that could give Alvarez similar problems.

 

The key to this fight in this observer’s eyes is whether Saunders can keep Alvarez from being able to get into a consistent rhythm. Even though both Alvarez and Saunders are boxer/punchers, Alvarez could have an advantage in terms of punching power. An asset that Saunders has here at least going into this fight has been his ability to hit and not be hit. Another aspect of Saunders’ style that has been frustrating for opponents is he can also switch between his base southpaw stance and an orthodox stance, which can make it even more challenging for an opponent to find their rhythm.

 

Saunders must be elusive from the outset and tactical. In simple terms, he needs to set the tempo of the combat, look to set traps, and take advantage of what openings Alvarez might leave him. While this is an approach that Saunders has shown that he can execute well throughout his career, a danger that might be present in this fight is the potential for Saunders to become complacent. In that if he is able to have success in this fight and find himself in a position where he is ahead by a reasonable margin or though it might seem on the scorecards, it will be interesting to see what might happen if after seeing success, if Saunders will choose to stand and trade punches with Alvarez. A decision some previous opponents have made that have proven to be a big mistake.

 

While Saunders, who stands 5’11 and has a seventy-one inch reach will have a three inch height advantage and a one inch reach advantage over Alvarez, Alvarez has shown particularly in his bouts against Rocky Fielding and Callum Smith the ability to neutralize an opponent’s height and reach. Although it is a task that can be easier said than done, Alvarez must find a way to neutralize Saunders’ ability to use lateral movement, must cut the ring off, and get on the inside of Saunders. When Alvarez has been able to get on the inside of his opponents, he has shown that he can execute a consistent body attack that has at times been devastating.

 

In terms of what the odds for this fight are, it is also interesting. According to the latest odds analysis from SportsBettingDime.com, Alvarez is favored by a wide margin. That said, there is some variation in the betting market. Canelo is as short as -800 and as long as -675. Saunders ranges from +425 to +550. His most optimistic odds (i.e. +425) give him a 19% chance to win, while his longest odds only allow the Briton a 15.4% chance.

 

The odds are both an indication of Alvarez’ overall popularity as well as standing in the sport. Whether or not the odds will match up with the style matchup between the two and indeed favors Alvarez remains to be seen.

 

Cinco De Mayo weekend in the sport of Boxing has traditionally produced some of the sport’s most memorable battles. If the intriguing battle Alvarez-Saunders appears to be on paper manifests into a great fight inside the ring, it will be the latest among memorable Boxing events to take place on Cinco De Mayo weekend. We will see who emerges victorious on Saturday night.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

 

Alvarez vs. Saunders takes place on Saturday, May 8^th at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The entire card can be seen globally (Excluding Mexico) on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 8PM ET/5PM PT (U.S. Time). For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices/platforms/Smart TVs, availability around the world, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

 

In Mexico, the bout can be seen on TV Azteca. Please visit www.TVAzteca.com for channel and start time in your area,

 

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

Follow Beau Denison on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Beau_Denison