GATLING: “CANELO-SMITH IS A VERY EXCITING FIGHT”

“We don’t fuck around in Mexico.”

Canelo Alvarez, challenging Gennady Golovkin in the ring after REM sleeping Amir Khan

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Well, apparently, that’s what they do at Golden Boy, after Canelo’s informal and obscenity laced taunts failed to produce a showdown with GGG.

Though a legion of Mexican fans– and fight fans in general, are pissed off about it, the fact is tonight’s bout between Alvarez (47-1-1, 36KO’s) and WBO super welterweight champion Liam Smith (23-0-1, 13KO’s) makes sense, even if Smith doesn’t understand it.

“Beefy” (as the little known Smith is referred to) believes Canelo ducked Golovkin, and reiterated as much after the two weighed in at exactly 154 lbs yesterday at the 80,000 seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I definitely think [Canelo] ducked a fight with Golovkin,” sneered a confident Smith to ESPN. “He went about it the totally wrong way, giving up his WBC belt, after calling him out.”

The England product wasn’t aware of the squinted, burning eyes of Alvarez on the back of his head as he kept yacking.

“He ducked Golovkin massively, and lied to his country and his fans about not giving up the title. He’s under a lot of pressure because of what he’s done.”

Smith wasn’t done.

“He knew he didn’t have to box in his last fight and just waited for the knockout. But when he loses his team will do everything they can to get a rematch. I’m going to put him in his place.”

ESCAPE FROM ALVAREZ

One of the worst places to be on earth is inside of a Mexican prison. As a kid, my bad little ass was taken to Rahway State Prison in New Jersey for a visit with several real-life “Debo” types from the classic Ice Cube movie “Friday”. It kinda bothered me- but there were guards around, so I really didn’t give a shit.

Smith doesn’t either, but the problem is, for implying that the cinnamon hair flavored Canelo is somehow loaded with estrogen, he’s not just going to visit a Mexican prison– he’s going to stay there. And there isn’t a damn thing the guard (or referee) will do to save him.

With a high guard that features a straight up n down, all-forward style with no special effects (to coin Floyd’s classic line), Smith is going to get hammered with absolutely no vaseline.

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Canelo Alvarez will savagely stop Liam Smith in 8 brutal rounds to capture the WBO super welterweight title.

The differences between Smith and Canelo are two-fold: Smith is not nearly as good as his brother Callum- a fighter I believe would give GGG hell; Smith is a lesser skilled version of his brother, just as Ryan Alvarez is to his superstar brother.

This is a very exciting fight for fans on HBO PPV, one that will test the true nature of Canelo’s star power. As pissed as his fans might be, Canelo is even more pissed about the notion he maxi-padded his way out of a gut-check against Golovkin.

“Beefy” is headed for the butchershop, where he’ll get sliced and faded nicely inside of a big nightclub party where the Dallas Cowboys play.

–John Gatling (aka Taz) is a southpaw from Plainfield, NJ and the boxing opinionator lives in the Boston area. He was inspired by hometown heroes Harold “The Shadow” Knight and Glenwood “The Real Beast” Brown to get deeper into the fight game. It has been said that Gatling has a New England spirit, with a New York soul. Follow John on Twitter (@johngatling_) and Facebook (facebook.com/taznj)