Punch is back in fight game
Mexican rivals can build on gains from heavyweight thriller.
LAS VEGAS — Boxing is on a hot streak.
Last week, 90,000 fans packed Wembley Stadium in London for a heavyweight thriller. Tonight, Mexican rivals Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will square off in front of what’s expected to be the largest indoor crowd for a bout in Las Vegas.
The sport appears to be on the upswing two years after the Floyd Mayweather Jr.Manny Pacquiao blockbuster ended with boos and jeers.
“That mega-fight really hurt boxing, especially the big pay-per-view fights. It really hurt it ,” said Alvarez, who is a heavy favorite tonight. “But I think if you have a Mexican fighter in the ring — especially two Mexican fighters — you’re guaranteed fireworks.”
The long-anticipated Mayweather-Pacquiao fight in May 2015 produced a record 4.6 million pay-per-view buys worth about $400 million. Then the fight was a dud.
Mayweather took a unani mo u s d e c i s i o n t o s t a y unbeaten, but was criticized for a defensive strategy that produced few fireworks. It was later revealed that Pacquiao, who struggled to land punches, was fighting with a shoulder injury.
No pay-per-view fight since has had more than 1 million buys in the United States as the sport sagged and the UFC gained ground. But boxing has benefited from several good fights this year, including last week when Anthony Joshua stopped Wladimir Klitschko in the 11th round of what was billed as the biggest heavyweight fight in British history.
Tonight’s bout is considered one of the biggest involving Mexican fighters, and it comes on the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend amid political tensions. A commercial promoting the fight depicts Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and Chavez (50-2-1, 32 KOs) bursting through a border wall like the one President Donald Trump proposes.
“This is an important fight, an important moment,” said Chavez, who is guaranteed $3 million for the bout. “It can be a big boost to my career if I can win this fight.”
Chavez, the son of the Mexican boxing icon Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., is trying to revitalize a career derailed by failed drug tests, weight issues and poor training. He cleared his first hurdle at Friday’s festive weigh-in when he came in at 164 pounds, under the 1641/2-pound catch-weight.
Chavez faced a $1 millionper-pound penalty.
“I’m very happy that he made weight because that means he worked hard,” Alvarez said. “And that guarantees that we can give the fans a great fight.”
Alvarez, who has never fought above 155 pounds, also weighed 164. He’s guaranteed $5 million.
“He’s a good fighter, but I’ve been taking care of my conditioning,” Chavez said. “I think I bring more to the table than he does.”
Plenty of barbs have been traded ahead of the fight. Alvarez, who grew up in poverty and whose lone loss came to Mayweather, said Chavez has been pampered and has “embarrassed the sport with his lack of discipline.”
Chavez has countered that Alvarez has been scared to fight bigger boxers. Alvarez had to surrender his WBC middleweight belt when he declined to agree to a fight with Gennady Golovkin.
That fight could happen in September, if the 26-year-old Alvarez can solve the unpredictable Chavez, 31, a former middleweight champ.