Cinco De Mayo weekend is a great time to figure out who is the “King of Mexico.” At the T-MobIe Arena, in Las Vegas, NV, Canelo Alvarez battles Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the catch-weight of 164.5 pounds in a 12-round non-title fight on Saturday night(HBO PPV).
On the surface, Canelo, 26, (48-1-1, 34 KOs) has been the more active fighter, has fought more championship caliber fighters, and has a better overall skill set. However, Chavez Jr., 31, (50-2-1, 32 KOs) is no bum. He has proven that he has a puncher’s chance, but reportedly, he had to lose a lot of weight to get down to 164 pounds. The biggest question was would Chavez Jr. make weight? He did that. The next question is how motivated Chavez Jr. will be coming into this fight? In the past, he has not been motivated enough to stop smoking weed. In his biggest fight, against Sergio Martinez in 2012, Chavez Jr. tested positive for marijuana. This could be his last chance to live off his dad’s name, the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. This could be his night of resurrection, or could be the day he goes away.
Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo need this fight. What could be next for Alvarez is a battle with GGG. Other than Mayweather-McGregor (don’t laugh), Canelo-GGG is the biggest fight that could be made in boxing! That does not happen without beating Chavez Jr. Canelo has GBP on his back. He is their most marketable fighter, and at this point, is the cash cow of boxing.
So who wins?
Canelo is the better fighter. Skills pay bills. With that being said, I see Canelo stopping Chavez Jr. in 8, but Chavez Jr. will be a live dog early. Chavez Jr. biggest victory was making weight. He won that battle, but he will lose the war.
