Aggressive Angulo fights odds, Alvarez
Alfredo Angulo is known as a power puncher, but boxers with big right hands need their legs too. And he has worked hard in a Hayward gym with trainer Virgil Hunter on his stamina, footwork and speed to get ready for Saturday’s fight against Canelo Alvarez.
Alvarez, in his first fight since losing decisively to Floyd Mayweather in September, chose to go against Angulo in the pay-per-view super welterweight fight in Las Vegas for obvious reasons. Angulo is nicknamed “El Perro” because he comes right at opponents with the thoughtfulness of a rabid dog.
“He was the best style for me,” said Alvarez, who is 421-1. “He comes forward. He makes good fights. It’s a very different style (than Mayweather’s), but it’s a style that’s going to be attractive and it’s going to make for a good fight.”
Angulo (22-3, 18 knockouts) has been in some classic freefor-all fights against James Kirkland and Erislandy Lara, both losses, but said he is at his best now. It’s taken almost two years for Angulo to shake off a rough, seven-month stay in 2012 at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in El Centro (Imperial County). His work visa had expired, and Angulo turned himself in in January 2012, thinking it would take a few days to resolve.
His immigration attorney, Kelly O’Reilly, said Angulo wasn’t allowed to have shoes or books because someone there had it in for the boxer.
“They didn’t even let him run or get exercise in to stay in shape,” Hunter said.
But Angulo’s had three fights since then and recent long sparring sessions with super middleweight champ Andre Ward and former light welterweight champ Amir Khan in Hayward.
“My body is finally back 100 percent from my time at the detention center,” Angulo said. “Canelo can stand and box with me or run, I don’t care. You will see the best Alfredo Angulo and my hand will be raised.”
Hunter is known as a defensive coach, but he didn’t want to change Angulo too much — even if he doesn’t care for the straight-ahead, hit and be-hit style.
“It is not a style I’d teach,” Hunter said. “You really have to fight the temptation to change him. I teach the science of boxing, but I realize I’d be doing him harm if I tried to change his style now.”
So, instead, Hunter exposed him “to different styles, different looks, very fast and quick styles” and worked on his footwork and cutting off the ring.
Angulo is a 4-1 underdog, but thinks Hunter, Ward and Khan have helped him get ready to knock off Alvarez, seen by many as boxing’s postMay weather superstar.
“Amir has more experience than Canelo, and his speed has helped with my defense,” Angulo said. “Canelo is not faster than Amir.”
Hunter anticipates “a savage affair.”
“I don’t think both men will walk out of the ring the same way Saturday night,” Hunter said. “I just ask the judges and officials, just let ’em go. I can just sense this storm coming.”