In a stunning revelation which has taken the sporting world by storm, it was announced today that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will be moving up to super-middleweight to challenge Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding for the latter’s WBA regular title on December 15.
Indeed, Canelo was reportedly eager to fight once again before the year is out, following his narrow points victory over Gennady Golovkin in their September rematch, and it appears he will be doing just that at the Mecca of Boxing in New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
However, his choice of opponent is something that has completely come out of the blue. Situated at the summit of many pound-for-pound lists, many were expecting Canelo to make the first defence of his WBA and WBC titles against heavy-handed former champion David Lemieux, who recently forced his way back into the title contention picture with a characteristically violent first round knockout of Gary O’Sullivan.
Instead, the Mexican is moving up a division to fight someone who was probably just as astonished as anyone else when this opportunity to fight Canelo, one of boxing’s foremost pay-per-view superstars, somehow presented itself.
Meanwhile, in facing virtually insurmountable odds, ‘Rocky from Stocky’ will undoubtedly be looking to emulate his theatrical namesake with a victory that would surely represent one of the most memorable upsets in recent years
Under Jamie Moore, Fielding has evolved from dogged campaigner to WBA ‘regular’ champion with a fifth round stoppage victory over Tyrone Zeuge in July on away soil, showcasing his physical strength, tenacity, and somewhat underrated skills in the process.
Ultimately, despite being the considerably smaller man, Canelo is the prohibitive favourite in a fight where his superior skills and experience will probably prove to be a step too far for the game Liverpudlian.
Fielding cannot be faulted for grasping this shot at glory with both hands, however, and will want to ensure that no stone is left unturned in preparations for the biggest fight of his life.
Article by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan________