Fielding’s dream comes true with Alvarez fight
A few years ago, Liverpool’s Michael “Rocky” Fielding was sitting in Madison Square Garden watching a New York Knicks game, dreaming of one day fighting at the venue that has housed some of the greatest fights in boxing history.
By capturing the World Boxing Association super-middleweight title in Germany with a fifth-round knockout of Tyron Zeuge in July, a new world suddenly opened up for the 31-year-old. Then, out of the blue six weeks ago, his trainer, Jamie Moore, received a call asking if Fielding would defend his World Boxing Association title against Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Chances like this come around once in a career, and Fielding took the contract with alacrity, in spite of being seen as a huge underdog. He now has the opportunity of creating one of the greatest upsets in British boxing folklore tonight at the Garden when he faces Alvarez, the red-haired star of boxing who has already beaten four British fighters: Amir Khan, Liam Smith, Matthew Hatton and Ryan Rhodes.
In Fielding’s favour is that Alvarez is stepping up 8lb to the supermiddleweight division for the first time in a 53-fight career, in which his only defeat came five years ago against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“Weight is key,” said Fielding, who at 6ft 2in, towers over the 5in shorter Canelo, and who has an equal reach disadvantage. “He has had most fights at light-middleweight and when he’s stepped up to middleweight he has been the biggest, but he’s nowhere near the biggest at super-middleweight.
“But this will come down to what happens on the night. I’ve been up against it in my last fights and have done the business. I’m going in there to win and I’m confident. It’s great to be here. I was here years ago, sitting watching a Knicks game, wishing one day to fight here. Now I’ve put a lot of work in, I’ve had a lot of setbacks, and here we are. It’s unbelievable. I’m looking forward to it.”
Fielding has lost just once in his 28 fights, to fellow Liverpudlian and world champion Callum Smith, and must use his size advantages to great effect in the early rounds.
I expect 28-year-old Alvarez to target Fielding’s long torso and claim the victory by stoppage in the mid-to-late rounds.