Editor’s Note: The opinions herein are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of ThaBoxingVoice.
A few weeks ago, news broke out that the negotiations between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez’s people and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.’s team were successful and the two Mexican superstars will finally face each other on May 6th.
Fans reactions to the fight were quite mixed. Many boxing fans had hoped to see Alvarez face off against Gennady Golovkin, which may still be a possibility this year, but Golovkin is currently tied up in a title unification bout with Danny Jacobs.
That being said, Alvarez has received some criticism due to the fact that he would not move up to 160 pounds completely to fight Golovkin. Instead, he is moving up to a catchweight past 160 pounds to fight Chavez. Chavez may face some criticism due to Alvarez’s size but in reality, Chavez is making his comeback after an unsuccessful attempt at light-heavyweight where he was stopped.
Aside from the criticism, the fighters have gotten some praise and it’s well deserved. What they deserve praise for the most, in my opinion, is that this is the biggest fight between two of Mexico’s biggest stars to take place in a long time. The last time two of Mexico’s best fought each other was when Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera fought in 2007. Alvarez and Chavez have Mexico split on whom the bigger star and who the better fighter is for a long time and come May 6th, the outcome of the fight will determine that.
Should Alvarez win, hopefully, it will further advance negotiations for a fight with Golovkin and give him the confidence he needs to fight at 160. Should Chavez win, hopefully, it will open his eyes to the fact that he needs to dedicate himself and continue pursuing bigger and better fights.
What other praise do they deserve? Well, you couldn’t ask for a better fight that is guaranteed to be action-packed for Cinco de Mayo weekend. Aside from the action, these two Mexican fighters are guaranteed to generate a great deal of revenue and more than likely put on the biggest numbers and ratings and ticket sales and the post-Mayweather era.
