This Saturday, WBA/WBC & ‘Ring’ magazine middleweight kingpin Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KO’s) takes on IBF champion Daniel Jacobs (35-2, 29 KO’s) in arguably the standout fight of 2019.
Mexican superstar ‘Canelo’, who moved up to dispatch of Rocky Fielding at super middleweight in December, returns to middleweight to defend the titles he ripped from long-time divisional ruler Gennady Golovkin back in September 2018.
In Jacobs, he will face a seasoned, fellow-elite competitor, with aspirations of his own to stake his claim as the world’s best middleweight. It is a bout that both men should be applauded for taking, according to Alvarez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
“Outside of the ring, these two men have already proven what they are made of – and for that, they deserve our respect.” said De La Hoya at yesterday’s final press conference.
“If the desire to be great is as powerful as I know it is, then we will have a great fight on Saturday night.”
Considered by many to be one of boxing’s leading fighters across all divisions, Alvarez’s skillset is not the only thing that has allowed him to stand out from the crowd. This Saturday marks his fifteenth World title fight, and with a resume comparable to anyone in the sport, Alvarez’s coach Eddy Reynoso praised his fighter’s willingness to take “risky fights”.
“Ever since we began our career in boxing with Canelo, we always knew we were going to have to take these risky fights.” said Reynoso. “These are the type of fights that take you to the top.”
“We have a tremendous challenge in front of us, a tremendous champion in Daniel Jacobs – but this year our goal is to sweep the middleweight division and win all four belts.
“Daniel Jacobs will not derail that goal.”
For Alvarez, his bout with Jacobs signals merely the latest blockbuster fight in an already ‘Hall of Fame’ worthy career.
While it is impossible to ignore the obvious financial clout that the Mexican juggernaut brings to the table – a $365m deal with streaming service DAZN a key indicator of his economic pull – ‘Canelo’ has showed a desire to face the best opponents in the sport since his debut as a fifteen-year-old in 2005.
It is that desire, and his wish to leave a legacy in the sport, that have catapulted Alvarez into boxing’s biggest star.
“Everything that had to be said has been said: but we are ready for Saturday.” said Alvarez.
“I’ll repeat to you, I’m ready for Saturday. I’ll continue writing history as I always have.”
Article by: Chandler Waller
Follow Chandler on Twitter at: @ChandlerWaller