Because unlike that one, this fight between two divided nations won’t suck.
This is how Cinco de Mayo is supposed to go down.
Two years ago, this very Mexican piece of war history was used by our very own Floyd Mayweather and Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao. You may remember, they then fought as if ambassadors looking for some sort of peace summit.
But we want war.
We didn’t put out half a billion dollars worth of demand to see some fucking peace, which is why we ultimately middle fingered their very anticlimactic weigh-in.
Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr left a spectacular weigh-in at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas without handshakes and a declaration of war. A war to see which side of Mexico– the one from the past and that which is building the future, is better.
Canelo, in sparkling blue and grey, looked like a spartan, and a bigger iteration the warrior that nuclear bombed Amir Khan.
JCCJr, in white trimmed with the colors of Mexico, looked like the fighter who longed for “Round 13” with Sergio Martinez.
We come to these weigh-in’s to learn things beyond a number on a scale (they both weighed 164) ; things that will provide us with clues that make a crystal ball less cloudy. I think I see who will win this fight and why.
CANELO V CHAVEZ: PREDICTION
The great Julio Cesar Chavez said a mouthful when he referred to Golden Boy CEO, Oscar De La Hoya, as ‘Canelo’s father’ during the final press conference on Wednesday. It is just an observation, but this says to me that Jr is really fighting for his father’s legacy and not his own.
The unseen wall of divide that exists in the house that Chavez built was visible to keen observation at the weigh-in. As JCCJr made his way to the scales amid bedlam in a divided crowd, the stone face of Chavez Sr stood nearby and stared at the section in front of him.
In one telling scene stood the legend on stage, glancing over Jr.’s mother and extended family all clad in white Team Chavez gear. He turned away, after meeting eyes that looked on him as if he was Donald Trump with a brick mason.
JCCJr made weight to the delight of his Mexican faithful, but will he carry the extra weight of his father’s bitterness? He won’t admit it, but Canelo facing his son represents De La Hoya V Chavez III. Just as I don’t see any version of Chavez beating a prime De La Hoya, I just don’t see this best ever version of JCCJr beating Canelo.
Chavez should enter the ring at around the same 180 lbs Daniel Jacobs did for Gennady Golovkin. Under Nacho Beristain, JCCJr will fight tall with ring generalship and intelligence to balance aggression.
The thinking from Golden Boy has to be that this is a major dress rehearsal for Gennady Golovkin. For Canelo, Jr will approximate GGG somewhat in size and style. The additions of Beristain and Memo Heredia– in addition to Jr’s real desire to win if it kills him, will give De La Hoya a better understanding of Canelo V GGG.
I see this fight as a bigger Juan Manuel Marquez with more power, against the Antonio Margarito we saw against Pacquiao. Margarito had already lost badly and was seeking bad boy redemption against Pac.
As you know, he gave Manny plenty of problems with a punishing attack, but basically got machined gunned. Expect the same kind of fight, only this one ends short of the distance.
In a pound-for-pound performance, Canelo Alvarez will wear down and bludgeon a game Chavez Jr to win the battle of Mexico via 10th round TKO.
