Canelo Alvarez – Keys to Victory
By: José A Maldonado, MFA
One has claimed titles in three divisions and is on his way to the Hall of Fame; the other is making only the fourth defense of a belt he won when it was vacant. One has fought the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. while the other will try to get his biggest name yet onto his list of victims. Most importantly: one is 40 years old and the other is just shy of his 22nd birthday.
This weekend as part of the huge Cinco de Mayo PayPerView fight card, undefeated junior middleweight champ and rising star Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez (39-0-1-29 KOs) will put his title at stake as he takes on faded former champ “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-7-1-39 KOs) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
While Mosley hopes for the upset to rejuvenate his career and get a few more big fights in before retiring, Alvarez will look to pass his first major test to further his case – in the US, at least – as a legitimate superstar.
After beating Kermit Cintrón in November, Canelo told interviewers he wanted to fight Floyd Maweather Jr. in May. Golden Boy Promotions said slow down, young man, and instead got him a fight against someone who almost stopped Money in their 2010 bout. With a win, Alvarez’ thirst for bigger and bigger fights will be quenched, but what does he need to do to come away with his career’s biggest victory?
Patience is a Virtue, But. . .
For all the hoopla that has surrounded Saúl Alvarez, it seems many of his fans have forgotten one thing: his fights are usually boring while they last. Sure, 14 of his last 17 bouts have ended in a stoppage victory, but the buildup to these KOs is not as exciting as one would think. Instead, Alvarez has a tendency of being very patient, a trait that has been applauded in the youngster, but that has robbed fans of excitement. Rather than hang back and pose in the center of the ring as is his wont, against Mosley, Canelo should look to press the action, be first and put Sugar Shane against the ropes while dictating the pace. This fight has been billed as Canelo’s stiffest test, but Alvarez should test Mosley’s old body to see just how much is left. In the past, especially against Alfonso Gómez, big stage jitters were evident in Canelo’s game, but for this fight, he cannot let that slow him down, nor should he hesitate to get Mosley out early.
Hook ‘Em
Of the 40 fighters who have faced Canelo (which, contrary to the many incorrect translations, does not mean cinnamon but instead means “cinnamon one” – think of it as the difference between “wool” and “woolen”), only 11 have made it to the final bell. That’s quite a feat for such a young fighter, and the weapon that has helped him maintain such a high KO ratio is his left hook. It’s a very sharp, technically sound punch that he throws perfectly, turning his body and pivoting his left foot as though he were mimicking an instruction manual. The punch is so effective because he hurts his opponents when it lands and because he uses it to set up his even more menacing right cross. Against Kermit Cintrón, he used his left hook as a way to distract the Puerto Rican and as a screen to cover up what was coming right behind it. With Mosley, he’ll want to engage the veteran close and try to unleash his left hook-right cross combo, and if he can land it enough times, Alvarez just may become the first fighter to ever stop the 40 year old.
Stay Centered
For a 21 year old, Canelo has displayed solid defense, not allowing anybody to really rock him. Though he would benefit from more head movement, he does well navigating the ring and fighting off the ropes. Against a guy with Mosley’s experience, nonetheless, Alvarez is going to want to play up his strengths as much as possible. That means he’ll need to keep the fight at the center of the ring, pushing Mosley to the ropes and keeping him there. Canelo has shown that he is a much better fighter going forward than backward, and only then does he really start stringing together punches. Rather than back away and become a counter puncher, looking for the homerun as he’s done in the past, Canelo should start unloading early, making Mosley feel his power and forcing him to retreat. Staying off the ropes will make Alvarez a difficult target to hit for Mosley, especially as the fight progresses and Sugar begins to wear down.
José A Maldonado is senior staff writer at punchrate.com and contributing writer for realcombatmedia.com
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