Boxing: ‘Canelo’ Alvarez Has Some Work Ahead of Him

Boxing rarely lives in the moment. It’s a sport -- and a media covering the sport -- that likes to venture into all of the possibilities ahead. But it’s Saul “Canelo” Alvarez who will draw you back to the task at hand.

The WBC middleweight titlist will remind you that he has a big fight coming up this Saturday on HBO pay-per-view against the smaller Amir Khan, which will take place at Las Vegas’ newly minted, 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena. He’ll remind you that he’s in no great hurry for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather Jr., or a possible fight with Gennady “GGG” Golovkin this fall. He’ll remind you that, despite Khan jumping two weight classes, he’s still faced with a very tough task.

Alvarez is 25 and sees a void out there, the need for a new face of boxing since Mayweather announced his retirement last September. Whether “Money” remains retired is anyone’s guess, but for now, Alvarez once again finds his red head at the hub of the sport. An impressive route of Khan, who said he would give Canelo a “boxing lesson,” can put Alvarez where he yearns to be.

“This is that extra motivation to be fighting on such an important date,” Alvarez said. “There’s still many years to go, but at my short age, being so young, already headlining, it’s a great honor. On Saturday night, we will see who will give who a boxing lesson. I want to thank all of my fans for the support. I am very honored to be celebrating on Cinco de Mayo, and I hope to put on a great show on Saturday night. I’m training hard for 12 rounds. I'm ready to go all of those rounds, and if the knockout presents itself, I’m ready to take it.”

As for the future tinsel? “You get used to (the talk of future fights),” Alvarez said. “Look, I can’t be thinking about what could happen or what’s going to happen. I’m focused on May 7. This is the fight.”

All of the other stuff will fall on the shoulders of Oscar De La Hoya, Alvarez’s promoter. Golden Boy and De La Hoya have come under scrutiny for their reluctance to make the fight between Alvarez and Golovkin, the recognized middleweight world champion. Golovin has yet to face a credible opponent of Alvarez’s level, and “GGG” says the problem rests with Alvarez’s camp, not his.

De La Hoya is smart. He doesn’t want to risk his golden goose, and that’s Alvarez. It’s why Alvarez has been able to get away with fighting undersized “name opponents” like Miguel Cotto and now Khan. In actuality, both factions -- Golden Boy and Alvarez, and K2 and Golovkin -- are guilty. If Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao can get a deal done, anything is possible.

“I can assure you Canelo doesn't think about (who’s next),” De La Hoya said. “He’s focused on the job at hand. This is a real threat for him because of (Khan’s) speed. Who has given him problems? (Erislandy) Lara (in an Alvarez split-decision) and Mayweather. Because of speed. He's not overlooking any fighter. You just can’t think about it.

“When Sunday comes, I’m going to start making the calls to Golovkin’s people and see if we can work it out. Mayweather has to come to us. Mayweather misses the limelight, misses the Cinco de Mayo weekend. That’s what boxing does to you. It always sucks you back in. But this is Amir and Canelo’s weekend, no doubt about it.”

Joseph Santoliquito is the president of the Boxing Writer's Association of America and a frequent contributor to Sherdog.com's mixed martial arts and boxing coverage. His archive can be found here.