With Floyd Mayweather no longer fighting, the highly sought-after Cinco de Mayo boxing main event belongs to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
Widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world, Canelo (46-1-1, 32 KOs) is set to begin his reign as middleweight champion against Amir Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) on Saturday night, May 7. The bout will be on HBO PPV, and here’s a look at full card:
Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan Fight Card
Note: The first fight begins at 9 p.m. ET on HBO PPV
Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens, Middleweight, 10 rounds
Mauricio Herrera vs. Frankie Gomez, Welterweight, 10 rounds
David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia, Middlweight, 10 rounds
Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan, Catchweight (155 pounds), 12 rounds
Preview
Boasting -500 odds, Canelo is the decidedly overwhelming favorite in this anticipated superfight.
And it’s not exactly difficult to see why.
The 25-year-old Mexican has a significant advantage in the power department, while two of three Khan’s defeats have come via stoppage. And with Khan moving from welterweight to 155 pounds for this bout, that may again prove to be the case.
But the challenger, who has bulked up, isn’t worried about the natural size difference, per ESPN’s Nick Parkinson:
It’s the strongest I’ve been for any fight, having that little bit of extra weight can only give me that extra advantage in getting power but the speed is still there. All round I feel so much stronger as a fighter. I’ve sparred a lot of rounds with heavier guys and I’ve done a lot of strength work in my legs by training on sand to help with the later rounds.
The speed is still there but this fight will be more mental–I have to win it with my brains. I can’t let my courage take over because it could get me in trouble, it has in the past, but I’m much smarter and wiser now.
Khan will have to be perfect if he wants to become the first person other than Mayweather to get past Canelo.
It isn’t likely to happen, but it will undoubtedly be compelling to watch him try.
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