Canelo Alvarez expects the majority of the boxing public to be against him when he squares off against Jermell Charlo.
The Mexican will defend his undisputed titles for a third time against the American, who will make his debut at 168 pounds after jumping up two weight divisions. Canelo is the heavy favourite, given the massive difference in weight, however, there are questions over his recent form.
Although his wrist injury did not help matters, Alvarez was accused of ducking David Benavidez in favour of a seemingly easier fight against Charlo. Therefore, anything but a win would damage his career moving forward. And Alvarez echoed the philosophy of Floyd Mayweather Jr, who had used his critics as motivation for his fights.
“They want [to beat me], but to do it is different. It’s not the same fighter that he’s used to fighting. Everyone wants him to beat me, but it’s going to be difficult,” Alvarez stated
Those words do hold some weight when we look at the following points. Charlo has never fought above 154 pounds, which is a challenge in and of itself, never mind against the undisputed champion at 168. Meanwhile, his inactivity could come back to haunt him since he has been out of the ring for more than a year. And on top of that, there are still unanswered questions over whether his power can transcend to super middleweight. The odds may be against the American, but the reward of becoming a two-weight-undisputed champion is in the offing.
Where And When
The card starts at 8pm ET. The ring walks for the main event should take place approximately at 11pm ET.
Make sure you catch the fight live on FIGHTSPORTS and FIGHTSPORTS MAX in the territories below.
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FIGHT SPORTS MAX:
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