We were hoping for a proper Mexican Showdown but instead we witnessed the Mexican letdown. One fighter showed up and one did not. With whole boxing world watching both fighters had the chance to provide us a memorable fight, but instead we witnessed the Canelo Show.
Saul Alvarez schooled Julio Cesar Chavez Jr for 12 rounds and here are the five main reasons why.
1. Accuracy
They say speed kills and that certainly is true, but it also helps to hit the target as well. That is what Canelo did throughout the whole entire fight. Not missing a beat, Canelo set the tone early with his lightning quick jab and punished Chavez Jr with numerous combinations. It was target practice from the get go for Alvarez.
2. Power
Fans of Chavez Jr were betting on him bullying Canelo at close distance and especially against the ropes and in the clinch. But Alvarez was having none of it. Whenever Chavez Jr had him against the ropes, Canelo countered with vicious uppercuts and straight rights that made Chavez Jr back off immediately. There were times when Canelo even invited Chavez Jr to attack him against the ropes but the son of a legend would not engage out of fear.
3. No Fear, No Respect
The way Canelo took control of the fight showed that he certainly was not respecting Chavez Jr at all. He was not afraid of him at any point before or during the fight. Alvarez had success with multiple flamboyant combinations, sways and faints. He showed a large part of his arsenal in the fight and he never even took a seat during rounds.
4. Pressure
Expectations were high and so was the pressure even though it looked like Canelo felt none of it. However, Chavez Jr certainly did. The narrative here was that Canelo had fought his the way to the top on his own while Chavez Jr rode the coattails of his father. With all of this in mind Chavez Jr buckled under pressure badly and simply froze in front of the world. Canelo sensed this in the first round and took advantage of it.
5. Mismatch & Wrong Strategy
In hindsight it easy to declare this one a total mismatch. Chavez Jr had been inactive and somewhat undisciplined in his approach towards professional boxing. Meanwhile Canelo has looked like a man on a mission every time he fights. Ignacio Beristain, head trainer of Chavez Jr, has to share some of blame as well. Apparently the strategy was to box with Canelo and leave brawling aside. Naturally this approach favored Alvarez immensely who had no issues at picking Chavez Jr apart punch by punch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xbQsOKrdfM