CANELO SMELLS BLOOD OF ANOTHER ENGLISHMAN
Smith has work cut out to handle world’s best fighter
As the poster boy for world boxing cuts his swathe through British prizefighters, it’s Callum smith t onight i n texas and Billy Joe saunders next up, maybe in London.
so says Canelo Alvarez as his roadshow swings back into the Lone star state, where he scythed down Callum’s elder brother Liam i n the Dallas Cowboys stadium four years ago.
that added the WBO lightmiddleweight championship to Canelo’s collection of world titles across four divisions.
the great Mexican’s aficionados will be roaring him on once more this evening in san Antonio, albeit in Covid-restricted numbers, as he bids to relieve the youngest of Liverpool’s four brothers-in- gloves of the WBA supermiddleweight title, while also hoovering up the vacant WBC and Ring magazine belts.
the fight family smith firmly believe that the finest of their brood is about to avenge Liam’s knockout. that would also put a stop to the rout which has seen Matthew hatton, Ryan Rhodes, Amir Khan and Rocky Fielding also succumb to the man who stands at No 1 in most credible rankings of the best pound-forpound boxers on the planet.
the way Alvarez sees this fight, it might help if a couple of
Callum’s siblings were allowed to join him in the ring.
‘It’s all about making more history,’ says Alvarez, 30, who, like smith, weighed in at 168lb yesterday. ‘I’m in the process of becoming the undisputed world super-middleweight champion. I never take any opponent easily. Callum’s a very good boxer who is much taller and bigger than I am. I expect that to make things awkward early i n the fight. But I will work him out, break him down and t hen knock him out.
‘After this, I want the WBO belt from saunders. And, yes, I’d l ove to f i ght i n the UK with all the boxing history there.’ that would seem to put on even longer hold Canelo’s trilogy fight with the now aging Gennady Golovkin, against whom he was gifted a scandalous draw and a dubious win in their first two meetings. sympathetic judging has been a feature of some of Alvarez’s closest fights and, though smith says: ‘I’m sure I will get a fair decision if we go the distance’, he too will be looking for the certainty of a stoppage. At six inches taller, with a l onger reach and naturally at least one division the heavier, smith (left) says: ‘I’m too big for Canelo and he’s made a mistake taking me on. My size and strength will overwhelm him in this huge fight.’
Yet there are fears about him taking this fight at four weeks’ notice. he reports he was already in full training but admits to psychological problems with having to workout i n virtual isolation during the pandemic.
smith, 30, adds: ‘ I am still the best super-middleweight in the world.’
there was broad support for that claim after his conquest of George Groves, until the unheralded and similarly smaller John Ryder gave smith such a hard time a year ago that many thought he had been robbed of the decision.
Canelo suddenly became more keenly interested in Callum after watching that performance.
Ryder offered up a blueprint for getting low inside smith’s telescopic jab and going to work on body as well as head. Alvarez prides himself on his body-punching. And commendably d bl th though hRd Ryder acquitted himself, he is no Canelo, whose only defeat has come against Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
size does matter, but so does talent. Canelo closes down the ring, the way his idol Julio Cesar Chavez cornered taller men. And if he has to take some heavy blows early on, which is part of the Callum gameplan, he is blessed with an iron Mike tyson chin.
If smith the younger pulls off his upset, it will be a supreme achievement. But the odds favour Canelo, for a late stoppage or a clear-cut decision.