Who’s Next? Who Cares: Why Canelo Alvarez’s Next Opponent Doesn’t Matter!
By Jesse “New School” Wright
You’re either the man, or you’re not. There is no grey area. Boxing is in a primadonna era where promoters protect their fighters like prized possessions. They then turn around and make the cliché promise of “the best fighting the best.” It’s a political tactic so deceitful that it would make Chicago politicians blush . Every promoter is guilty of selling themselves as a fan first. In the case of Oscar De La Hoya, I challenge him to find one fan who doesn’t want Canelo’s next fight to be against the man regarded by many as the best in the world, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin. That is the case, however, when he bought time for another interim fight from WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman to let the potential super fight marinate. However, you look at it, boxing is a business, and Canelo is a profitable asset. So let’s take a look at who will be the potential candidate in the fight of “the best fighting the best for business.”
It’s worth it to note that the middleweight division is crowded with guys who are both marketable and worthy of a Cinco De Mayo fight with Canelo. These are the fighters that financially make sense in the short term, but are too high risk to tarnish the image. This list included Danny Jacobs, Billy Joe Saunders, Peter Quillin and David Lemieux. Canelo would most likely be able to beat any of these guys, but the risk of looking bad is too great. Even worse is the risk of getting caught in a war with guys that can do some serious damage. The team at Golden Boy is too smart to take a chance on a match that could diminish the value of a future showdown with Golovkin. On top of all that, most of these fighters are too established as middleweights to ever concede to the catch weight that comes with fighting Canelo.
The next opponent will have to be low risk enough to not pose a threat, but bullish enough to make things exciting. James Kirkland filled this role perfectly in Canelo’s lead up fight to Cotto. The nonstop exchange made for thrilling highlights. In reality, Canelo was never in danger. Just as it was the case against Kirkland, this fight will be the one that HBO shows on loop when showcasing Canelo for the Golovkin fight.
The man for the job is without question Gabriel Rosado. Rosado is a fringe contender who always seems on the brink of getting his big break, just to take a beating by elite fighters. Rosado is a tough all action fighter who brings it against even the toughest opponents. Rosado fought courageously against Golovkin to the point where his corner through in the towel before he could take any more punishment. Perhaps it’s a bonus that Rosado is notorious for getting busted open and marked up quite regularly. The way Rosado’s face looks after a fight, even in victory, makes his opponents look destructive. If all that isn’t enough, Rosado also has plenty of experience as a junior middleweight and shouldn’t have much problem taking Canelo on at the expected 155lb catchweight. It should be no surprise that his name was mentioned by Canelo’s camp before he even fought Joshua Clottey. After defeating Clottey by unanimous decision on Saturday it is safe to say that Rosado is a shoe in.
When Canelo and Rosado meet up, the fans will get their money’s worth. The fight will be high action and entertaining. Canelo will also be a massive favorite to win as the odds in Vegas will show. Regardless of how this fight will be sold to the fans, Canelo is at no risk of losing. It is nothing more than a vehicle to build hype for the fight that really matters. For better or for worse, that is the nature of the business side of boxing. It’s never about “the best fighting the best,” it’s about “the best fighting the best for business.”
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