By Lem Satterfield
Canelo Alvarez dethroned Gennady Golovkin as WBA/WBC middleweight champion by majority decision in September’s rematch of their draw in September 2017, signed a $365 million multi-fight deal with the streaming service DAZN, and will pursue a third crown in as many divisions on December 15 against WBA “regular” 168-pound Rocky Fielding while retaining his 160-pound titles.
If successful against Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs) at New York’s Madison Square Garden, the 28-year-old Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) has a corps of tough rivals awaiting his return to 160, among them 36-year-old “Triple-G” Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) and division champions Demetrius Andrade (26-0, 16 KOs), Rob Brant (24-1, 16 KOs) and Jermall Charlo (27-0, 21 KOs), holders of the WBO, WBA “regular” and WBC interim crowns.
There is also switch-hitting former titleholder Daniel Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs), whose unanimous decision loss in a title unification match ended “GGG’s” 23-fight, nine-year stoppage streak in March 2017.
So count left-handed two-division title-winner “Boo Boo” Andrade among those disappointed in Alvarez’s already has calling out 41-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0, 27 KOs), who weighed 150 ½ in September 2013 when “Money Mayweather’s” majority decision dethroned “Canelo” as WBA/WBC 154-pound champion in his lone defeat.
“Calling out Mayweather is probably not gonna happen. People want to see Demetrius Andrade or Triple-G fight Canelo, right now,” said Andrade, a 30-year-old who also signed with DAZN and who has been approved for a voluntary defense in January in according with WBO rules and president Paco Valcarcel.
“So why doesn’t Canelo come back down and fight people at the 160-pound division? Those are the fights that the fans want to see being made. I know that Canelo and his team are where they are because they’re being smart business guys, but you can’t claim you’re the best when you don’t fight the best. And at this point, no one wants to see you against Floyd Mayweather. There’s no point to it.”
Alvarez owns a unanimous decision victory over four-division champion Miguel Cotto (November 2015). But other than Golovkin Mayweather, two of Alvarez’s closest bouts were unanimous- and split-decisions over left-handed former titleholders Austin Trout (April 2013) and Erislandy Lara (July 2014).
“Canelo won’t be able to handle ‘Boo Boo," said Andrade’s father and trainer, Paul Andrade. “They’re both southpaws, too, but Lara and Trout don’t have the power of 'Boo Boo,' whose speed, movement and ring savvy will be too much for Canelo.”
The 6-foot-1 Andrade’s last fight was last month’s four-knockdown unanimous decision for the WBO’s vacant crown over previously unbeaten Walter Kautondkwo (17-1, 16 KOs), whose run of 16 consecutive stoppages ended as did Andrade’s 366-day ring absence since rising from a seventh-round knockdown for a unanimous decision over previously undefeated 6-foot-5 Alantez Fox in his 160-pound debut.
“Canelo and I are on the same platform with DAZN, so there should be nothing about whose side of the pond you’re on and all of the other bulls*** excuses they might try to use. I know Canelo’s trying to stay away from the dangerous guys like me right now by going up to 168, and it’s not that I’m saying the Fielding’s not a tough fight. But I think that for Canelo to stay relevant and to continue building his legacy, then he’s gonna have to fight guys like me,” said Andrade of the 5-foot-8 Alvarez.
“It’s going to come down to who you fought to build your legacy, so of course, after he fights Fielding, I’m going to be yelling and screaming and trying to make our fight happen. Once that happens, I’m going to go in there the night of the fight and do everything I can to whup his ass. I know that if you put me in the ring with Canelo Alvarez, I’m going to put my hands on him, use my footwork to put on a show and I’m gonna make magic happen.”
2023-10-22 07:32:21
