RingSide Report

World News, Social Issues, Politics, Entertainment and Sports

Whatchagonnado: Canelo “Catchweight” Alvarez Is In a Lose – Lose Situation!

whatcha-gonna-doBy Roy “Sharpshooter” Bennett

Khanage…

Canelo “Catchweight” Alvarez defends the linear middleweight world title against welterweight Amir Khan in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The HBO spin doctors have marketed this bout as a PPV worthy event and expect fans to shell out their hard earned shekels for what we’re being led to believe is a competitive fight. But think back to when this match up was first announced. The chorus of disapproval from boxing fans the world over was loud and clear. So what’s changed? Nothing! Some of the more gullible among us have bought into the considerable hype and are now giving Khan a chance to pull the upset. But wait one damn minute. This is still a welterweight with fragile whiskers moving up two divisions to take on a guy who has a track record of entering the ring on fight night weighing in as a light heavyweight.

How the hell does Khan stay out of harm’s way for twelve rounds and win a decision against the house favorite? The fact is he’d have to knock Canelo out twice to get a draw. Listen. I’d like nothing better than for Khan to turn over the applecart and put a stop to the 155lb catchweight nonsense which has made a mockery of Canelo’s reign, brought even more shame on the WBC, and had middleweight greats of the past – Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson, and Carlos Monzon – turning in their graves.

If Khan does manage to last the full course what does that say about Canelo? And if Canelo does blow Khan out early on in violent fashion what does that say about Canelo? The answer is the same for both questions. Not much. It’s an embarrassment for the catchweight king both ways. It’s a lose-lose situation for him whichever way you slice it. But he’s brought it on himself by picking on smaller fighters and refusing to defend his title against legitimate middleweight contenders. A tsunami in the form of Gennady Golovkin looms menacingly on the horizon and is heading Canelo’s way. It’s time he got out of the water while the going is good.

Last Chance Saloon…

If you’re looking for a proper punch up to feast your eyes on this weekend, look no further than the semi-main event bout on the Canelo Vs Khan undercard between middleweights David Lemieux and Glen Tapia. This is an intriguing contest with both boxers returning to the ring after suffering stoppage defeats. Lemieux got chopped up and beaten down by Gennady Golovkin in 8 one sided rounds last time out. A subsequent planned return against James De La Rosa in March had to be called off when Lemieux came in overweight.

Glen Tapia returns after two back to back stoppage defeats at the hands of James Kirkland and Michel Soro. The Kirkland stoppage in particular was brutal and Tapia lost a part of himself that night he can never regain. It was that kind of fight. The manner of his stoppage defeat against Soro was also worrying.

It is said a boxer only has so many fights in him and wars of attrition and bad stoppage defeats don’t make for long a career. But let it be said Lemieux’s stoppage loss to GGG may have taken something irreplaceable from him too.

Either way we might be looking at damaged goods. Tapia has been training with Freddie Roach in an effort to change his warring ways but when Lemieux climbs in his grill I can see Tapia biting down on his mouthpiece and once again engaging in ill advised trench warfare.

Both Lemieux and Tapia enter the fray on Saturday night with less of themselves – in ring terms – than they had a year ago. It’s a punishing and unforgiving sport that takes a toll on most fighters in that way.

We’re going to find out who has more left…

[si-contact-form form=’2′]

Leave a Reply