Column: Canelo Alvarez’s domination of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was a glorified sparring session
Reporting from Las Vegas — What was the point of this?
The thought almost certainly entered the mind of anyone watching the predictably lopsided beating Canelo Alvarez administered Saturday night to overmatched Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
The question was answered after the scores of Alvarez’s unanimous decision victory were read, as the red-headed fighter made an announcement of his own to the capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena.
In the postfight ring interview, Alvarez revealed the plans for his next fight, which will be on Sept. 16.
“Golovkin!” he told the crowd.
Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin emerged from a nearby tunnel with trainer Abel Sanchez by his side. Green, white and red confetti dropped from the rafters. “Seven Nations Army” blared over the sound system.
The long-awaited agreement was finalized. “The fight is done,” Alvarez said.
Oh. So the preceding 12 rounds were nothing more than a part of an elaborate news conference — a news conference that cost $60 to watch on television or hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars to see in person.
The business practice can be questioned. The necessity of the upcoming fight can’t. The middleweight championship fight between Alvarez and Golovkin is a fight that had to happen.
Not next year. Not the year after that. In September.
And it will.
This is about as close to a megafight that could have been made today. It had to happen because it’s what’s best for the sport. It also had to happen because it’s what’s best for Alvarez.
The fans made that clear. Over the final two rounds of the 12-round sweep, there were chants of “Be-so! Be-so!” which translates to “Kiss! Kiss!” If you won’t hurt Chavez anymore, the fans were telling Alvarez, you might as well kiss him.
“Tonight, I showed I can move, I can box, I can do all those things,” Alvarez said after outlanding Chavez Jr., 228-71, in punches. “I showcased myself.”
Enough was enough. Alvarez had taken on too many soft opponents in succession. Fights like the fight against Chavez are necessary. I get that. I think most fans do, too.
Boxing is dangerous. Careers in the sport are short. And if a fighter has an opportunity to collect a hefty paycheck without sacrificing too many brain cells, he should take it.
As Alvarez’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya’s job was to maximize his fighter’s earnings while minimzing risk.
The art of promoting a fight is in creating the illusion of danger or running with story lines that will distract potential customers from the lopsided nature of the impending engagement.
By landing the son of Mexico’s greatest-ever fighter as an opponent for Alvarez, De La Hoya did that.
But a fighter and his promoter can run the same gambit only so many times.
Alvarez had an equally lopsided matchup last Cinco de Mayo with Amir Khan, a popular but undersized British fighter known for his inability to take a punch.
That fight also went as expected, with Alvarez knocking out Khan in six rounds. Taking on another overmatched opponent would have damaged Alvarez’s credibility. It would have damaged the little intregrity that remains in the sport.
But here’s another reason taking on Golovkin is the right move: Alvarez can win. The weight limit for the Alvarez’s fight against Chavez was 164½ pounds, more than 10 pounds heavier than the light middleweight division in which Alvarez has spent the majority of his career.
His fight with Golovkin will presumably be in the middleweight division, for which the weight limit is 160 pounds.
Not too much can be read into Alvarez’s performance Saturday night, considering the embarrassingly substandard opposition.
But Alvarez’s power moved up in weight with him. Chavez was four inches taller, if not more, and Alvarez was able to hurt him. The extra pounds didn’t compromise his movement, either.
This was a glorified sparring session and Alvarez looked as dominant as he possibly could. He outjabbed his taller opponent. Sometimes, he threw it moving back. Other times, he advanced behind it.
The more the fight progressed, the more dominant he became. He threw vicious uppercuts and thunderous overhand rights. He threw three- and four-punch combinations. He capped the ninth round with a beautiful pull counter, stunning Chavez.
“It was the speed and distance,” Chavez Jr. said.
If this was practice for the real thing against Golovkin, Alvarez looked ready.
ALSO
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Who are Mexican fans rooting for in the Canelo vs. Chavez fight? Well, it’s complicated.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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