By Alejandro Moreno |
The Mexican fighter Saul “Canelo” Álvarez is especially shining these days as one of the great stars in Saturday’s night fight against Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin.
No matter what the result, Alvarez, 27, has already become a winner, being the new image of Mexican boxing that his compatriots admire inside and outside the country, as well as good lovers of sports.
Although he also has his detractors, who see him as the one chosen to better sell that new image, which generates millionaire profits, the development and progress that Alvarez has had through his boxing career are evident, although with certain questions without have been cleared.
As has been the care and protection of the promoters so you will not risk dangerous fights that could cost your career.
He was put in front of Floyd Mayweather junior, who gave him a whole boxing lesson, and took away the undefeated one, because it was necessary that he began to produce important economic dividends.
From that moment he had to start again the way of recovering image and to return to place inside the elite of the boxing and little by little under the direction of the Golden Boy Promotions obtained it.
But always with the threat of the presence of Golovkin, the unbeaten pugilist, who destroyed all his rivals and at the end of each fight said that he was ready for the match with Alvarez that he wanted to face.
De La Hoya did not allow it, he considered with good business judgment that it was not the time to do so, since they could not risk losing another defeat like Mayweather junior, without before not having established himself as the leader of Mexican boxing and converted in an authentic international star.
Now, De La Hoya has already gotten Álvarez to be a star in states like Texas, California and Nevada, where his fights are guaranteed to sell all the tickets and have generated millions of dollars.
The examples are given in San Antonio and Arlington (Texas), where Alvarez gathered close to 100,000 spectators in just two matches.
Against Austin Trout in 2013, he led the Alamodome (San Antonio) stands to 42,000 spectators, while in 2016, against Englishman Liam Smith, he got 51,000 fans to see him at AT & T Stadium, Cowboys field of Dallas of the NFL.
The last fight, which starred against Julio Cesar Chavez junior, also filled the capacity of the T-Mobile Arena, where they are already sold all tickets for Saturday night against Golovkin.
Hence, somehow spend most of the year training in the United States, and be the favorite character for Mexican companies to image their products that they want to sell both in the Hispanic market and in the Anglo.
His projection of Mexican and international boxing star is a reality. It shows that without being a world champion – renounced the title – now faces the great fight that good fans have been waiting for several years.
Alvarez has transcended the Hispanic world and his presence in the Anglo is also evident, hence the importance of the match against Golovkin, given that a triumph would consecrate both in the sports and selling image.
The Mexican pugilist wants to be seen even by those who consider it a product of “marketing”, which means that it is perfect when doing business.
It is expected that for the fight against Golovkin there will be between 30 and 40 million viewers who see it, as they have already done with the previous ones in which it has participated and that the audience is not low of 20 million viewers.
De la Hoya has understood perfectly that Alvarez already has the cartel enough to take him to Anglo markets like New York, where he could star in his next stellar match.
Another element of the importance of the fight against Golovkin, because it is the ideal to achieve the historic triumph that is missing in a special day such as that of September 16, the most important date in the boxing calendar and in sports Mexican.
A convincing victory over Golovkin in Mexico’s Patriotic Holiday week will allow him to completely cover the Anglo-Saxon market, to dispel doubts forever for all critics who believe he is not an elite pugilist and to consecrate himself as the new star of the world of boxing after the retirement of Mayweather junior.
Golovkin and Alvarez give the same weight of 72,640 kilos for Saturday’s fight
Undefeated Kazakh champion Gennady Golovkin and Mexican Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez completed the pre-fight weigh-in on Saturday and both gave 72,640 kilos on the scale.
The first to go to the weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, was Golovkin, 35, who was impassive, perfect, with a good boy’s smile and complete security.
He gave the weight limit established for the category of the medians and then it was the turn to Alvarez, 27, who already climbed on the scale gave the same weight for his debut in the new division.
The Mexican pugil was also smiling, confident and calm in the middle of an exquisite atmosphere, of maximum education and respect between both pugilists and their respective teams who greeted each other cordially.
Golovkin will exhibit his middleweight titles versions of the International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Association (WBA) and World Board (WBC).
Hispanic promoter Oscar de la Hoya, owner of the company Golden Boy Promotions, which bears the interests of Alvarez, and responsible for the schedule of the evening and the fight, was responsible for always being with both fighters.
After the rigorous photo of face to face was confirmed the greater extent of Golovkin, pro Alvarez in turn showed a great physique with a great musculature.
At the end of the weigh-in, the Mexican reiterated that he is ready for the big fight, admitted the options to the triumph are evenly distributed and that in the end the winner will be the one who is smarter about the quadrilateral.
“The fight will be a mix of power, speed and intelligence,” said Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KO’s). “The one that best knows how to combine all these elements will take the victory.” What I do have very clear is that I risk everything in combat and that is why I have prepared to the maximum.
For his part, Golovkin reiterated that he has all the respect for Alvarez, who is ready to make a great fight and that in the end, no matter the winner, the great beneficiary of the bout will be the sport of boxing.
Golovkin, meanwhile, has a perfect 37-0-0 record with 34 KOs.
With thousands of fans, mostly Mexicans, who witnessed the weigh-in and always supported Alvarez, the promoters of the fight confirmed that the capacity of the nearly 17,000 seats that own the T-Mobile Arena have been sold tickets for several months .
The opposite of what happened with the fight between Floyd Mayweather junior and Irishman Conor McGregor, who last August 26 faced off in a fight that the world of boxing considered a “farce” and could barely sell 14,464 tickets.
The price of tickets to see the fight Golovkin against Alvarez ranges from $ 2,500 and will be much higher for those who try to get some last minute in the resale market.
It is also expected that the sale of pay television will exceed two million buyers, who will have to pay $ 70 to watch the fight, which guarantees promoters an economic success of the fight.
De La Hoya has already announced that part of the proceeds from the fight will make a significant donation to all victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as they pass through the states of Texas and Florida, respectively.
“We know the suffering of thousands of people who have lost everything and we will always be at their side,” said De La Hoya. “Let’s help the most.”
