“THE FIGHT HBO WANTS YOU
TO SEE…. just not right away”
By Robert Earle Stanton,
2015 Allen Hoey Award winner and author of "Selling the Pain"
This past Saturday Night if any casual fans tuned in, or
disgruntled casual fans tuned in to see the replay of Mayweather vs Pacquiao
they got their "Money’s Worth" by watching Saul
"Canelo" Alvarez, now 45-1-1 with 32 knockouts take out James Kirkland, now 32-2 with 28 knockouts in a bout that was Hagler/Hearns-esque in style. Knockout artist Kirkland rushed Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and backed him in a corner from the opening bell to get knocked down to somehow survive the first round and first half of the second where he was drilled with clean rights and hooks by "Canelo" to get dropped in the third round by an uppercut to get up and have the referee say, "Show me something" before "Canelo" hit him with a right hand that twisted his body around and laid him out flat. "Canelo" even seemed concerned, coming over and standing over the carcass of Kirkland, the "Mandingo Warrior" as this had big impact on the boxing world, maybe more than it should. Saul Alvarez, dubbed "Canelo" at a young age, being given, it seems, his biggest props yet. However to a real fan "Canelo" who weighed in at 154 1/2 (as did Kirkland) 1/2 of a pound over the Jr. Middleweight limit, simply took out a guy tailor made for him who hasn't fought since late December 2013.
"Canelo" Alvarez, now 45-1-1 with 32 knockouts take out James Kirkland, now 32-2 with 28 knockouts in a bout that was Hagler/Hearns-esque in style. Knockout artist Kirkland rushed Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and backed him in a corner from the opening bell to get knocked down to somehow survive the first round and first half of the second where he was drilled with clean rights and hooks by "Canelo" to get dropped in the third round by an uppercut to get up and have the referee say, "Show me something" before "Canelo" hit him with a right hand that twisted his body around and laid him out flat. "Canelo" even seemed concerned, coming over and standing over the carcass of Kirkland, the "Mandingo Warrior" as this had big impact on the boxing world, maybe more than it should. Saul Alvarez, dubbed "Canelo" at a young age, being given, it seems, his biggest props yet. However to a real fan "Canelo" who weighed in at 154 1/2 (as did Kirkland) 1/2 of a pound over the Jr. Middleweight limit, simply took out a guy tailor made for him who hasn't fought since late December 2013.
One year and three months ago this could have been a
different fight as James Kirkland was coming off of his three biggest wins in a
row - being the first to stop 20-1 Alfredo Angulo, and it was not for
Kirkland’s trainer, Anne Wolfe, Kirkland may not have gotten the DQ win over
"King" Carlos Molina (a Molina that "Canelo" seemed
disinterested in fighting as Molina beat a Cintron and "Canelo" would
stop Cintron after instead of fight Molina) in late December 2013, Kirkland's
last fight, almost a year and a half ago, in Jersey, where Kirkland savagely
stopped the 22-0 "Jersey Boy" Glen Tapia, ruining him (for he also
got stopped again this past week) Kirkland also had his trainer and mentor Anne
Wolfe with him at that time, the person who knows how to bring that beast out
in the best way - but instead of getting "Canelo" vs Kirkland one
year and three months ago because of Part time Rap Artist/Boxing Promoter
"50 Cent" Kirkland went close to a year and a half on the shelf and
did not box and was in exile from trainer/mentor Anne Wolfe - instead an
unknown trainer working with him in his biggest fight.
So in reality did we expect anything less? This was a
showcase for not Saul Alvarez, but the creation "Canelo" who is
again, 45-1-1, who was coming off getting by a controversial Split Decision
over Erislandy Lara and prior to that stopping a 22-3 Alfredo Angulo (who was
beat by Cintron, trashed by Kirkland, and stopped by Lara) and prior to that
"Canelo" who was undefeated at the time, seemed lost in the ring losing
his Jr Middleweight crown to Floyd Mayweather. "Canelo" did
unify two Jr Middleweight titles via 12 round Unanimous Decision over a 26-0
Austin Trout prior to that - which is what makes this story ironic. Trout
was undefeated prior as Jr Middleweight Miguel Cotto was coming off of a
spirited loss to Floyd Mayweather and got shockingly upset by Trout.
Cotto, however, would implore the efforts of Pacquiao trainer Freddie
Roach and they would take on a Delvin Rodriguez where Cotto seemed to have his
mojo back as they would go up to challenge Middleweight Champion Sergio
Martinez who was making the 7th Defense of his WBC title that he won in 2010.
At a contracted 159 pounds, the veteran Cotto never looked better, coming
out and and dropping the Middleweight Champion 3 times in the first round where
Martinez would injure a knee, and be in pain all the way through the 9th where
he was dropped again as the fight would be stopped and Miguel Cotto would
become a four division world champion. But that was just the start of it.
That was last June and all respect has gone away from Cotto
39-4 (32) (who defends his Middleweight title vs Daniel Geale, 31-3, with 16
knockouts at the Barclays Center June 6th brought to you by HBO) And if HBO has
their way, Cotto, the proud Puerto-Rican Champion, will win, defending his
middleweight title and the stars will align when he takes on the Pride of
Mexico, "Canelo." This fight was supposed to happen already,
actually, yet because of Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who both had
backup plans (Floyd had a rematch back up plan with Cotto and Manny Pacquiao
had a back up plan with Aamir Khan, Cotto vs "Canelo" fell through
when "Canelo" maybe suffered an injury and could not fight Joshua
Clottey and put a deadline on Cotto signing, who was negotiating with bigger
bucks. In the wake of "Canelo" vs Kirkland, Cotto vs Geale is now an
afterthought, a just, "Let's hope Cotto wins so this can happen.”
Actually, Cotto is looked at as the underdog.
If HBO could write a script and have it the way they want
to have it, they will have the two "other" biggest draws in the
sport, "Canelo" beating Cotto (a 24 year old is preferred to a 34
year old veteran) which again, is a huge event. You have the "Puerto
Rico vs Mexico" logic that will fill a stadium, and if the 10 year younger
"Canelo" can come off winning the WBC Middleweight Title (he's never
even fought at Middleweight before, yet last Saturday Night fighting above Jr
Middleweight for the first time is an indication of what's coming) and going up
against the other biggest draw in the sport as it would be a unification title
fight - WBA Middleweight Champion and feared knockout artist, Gennady
"GGG" Golovkin (who has also thrown his name in the hat for a fight
with Floyd Mayweather in September)
Gennady "GGG" Golovkin is 32-0 with 29 knockouts.
who is 33 years old from Kazakhstan and is
an Olympic Silver Medalist. He sells. He knocks people out. Even if
they don't have the most credentials, "GGG" won the WBA Middleweight
Title over 14-2-1 Nilson
Julio Tapia in 2010. He has made 12 defenses since - all by knockout.
The person who lasted the longest was his last fight in February when he made
a 29-1-1 Martin Murray a literal punching bag. If I ran off the names on
his hit list no one would know who they were, however, maybe they heard of
Geale, who he KO'd in the 3rd round, which is interesting, the guy Miguel Cotto
defends his WBC title against next month.
The point is HBO does not care if GGG has really not fought
anyone or if "Canelo" just had the biggest two and half round
highlight reel vs Kirkland (while losing the biggest fight of his life by a
mile vs Floyd and getting by with a controversial SD over Lara) The point is
"GGG" and "Canelo" Sell - and what better of a sale is
"Canelo" vs "GGG" for the unified WBC/WBA Middleweight
Unification?
All things aren't that easy, however. Again, even
though "GGG " is a young 33 and Cotto is an old 34, if Cotto
successfully defends his WBC title vs Daniel Geale he has to defend it vs
"GGG" or is stripped of it, making Cotto vs "Canelo" a
seller but not really since it's not for the Middleweight title. I'm sure
they'll somehow figure that out while "GGG" bides his time with just
another body when he takes on unknown Willie Monroe, Jr, who has 19 wins, 1
loss, with 6 knockouts.
So how does this triangle play out? We've seen the
beginning, "Canelo" knocking out James Kirkland. We'll see this
upcoming Saturday Night "GGG" defend his WBA title for the 13th time
vs Monroe, Jr. and we'll see June 6th how Cotto looks defending his WBC title
for the first time against a guy that "GGG" knocked out in the 3rd
round.
The shame of it is that Miguel Cotto was once like
"GGG" at 32-0, as he held a Welterweight title. The difference
was Cotto was a lot younger and was coming off beating names like Mosley and
Judah and beat 5 undefeated fighters including guys like Quintana and Torres.
That Cotto was going in the ring to fight Margarito and would avenge that first
loss. That Cotto fought the best in Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather,
Clottey, Mayorga, ect. and would win the Middleweight title he holds vs
Martinez but perception has changed since then and in boxing, perception rules.
In the words of Johnny Rotten on Sid Vicious, "No
Respect."
