By Keith Idec
PHILADELPHIA — After what he witnessed last Saturday night, promoter Russell Peltz is convinced Gabriel Rosado is ready for any junior middleweight in boxing.
Rosado, who became the first fighter to stop Jesus Soto Karass, has his sights set on one 154-pound fighter in particular.
“I would love to fight Canelo,” Rosado said. “I have no problem fighting Canelo.”
Philadelphia’s Rosado (19-5, 11 KOs), who has shown marked improvement since Alfredo Angulo stopped him in the second round 2½ years ago, is confident that if he performs the way he did against Karass (24-7-3, 16 KOs, 1 NC), Saul “Canelo” Alvarez won’t leave the ring undefeated.
“Applying the pressure I applied on Soto Karass [last Saturday], I don’t think Canelo is used to that,” Rosado said. “I’m slick. I have head movement. I catch shots old-school style and I counter back. I can throw short punches, I can throw long punches, I can fight you on the inside, I can box you.
“I would be a problem for Canelo. They’re protecting him. I don’t know if they would put him in against a guy like me right now. But I would love to fight him.”
The 21-year-old Alvarez (39-0-1, 29 KOs) doesn’t have an opponent for his next bout, but the fast-rising Mexican star is more likely to try to face a higher-profile fighter. If Alvarez goes in a different direction, Rosado would like to fight the winner of a March 24 bout between James Kirkland (30-1, 27 KOs) and Carlos Molina (19-4-2, 6 KOs).
Rosado respects Kirkland’s power, especially considering Kirkland knocked out the very same man in his last fight that stopped Rosado.
“He’s a big puncher, but I’m a big puncher as well,” Rosado, 26, said. “That’s the statement I wanted to make [Saturday night], that I was kind of falling back on my power because I was so busy boxing guys, being nice and loose in there. My mindset was I wanted to show I have that knockout power and I can hurt guys. I can box them, but I can hurt them.”
Rosado didn’t drop the courageous Karass, but he hammered away at his head and body throughout their fight until referee Steve Smoger mercifully stopped it at 2:06 of the fifth round at Asylum Arena in Philadelphia. The 29-year-old Karass is naturally a welterweight, but the 6-foot Rosado still produced the most impressive performance of his six-year pro career in a fight that was televised by NBC Sports Network.
“I felt great,” said Rosado, who has won five straight fights. “I said I was going to back this guy up, take him out of his comfort zone. He’s not used to being backed up. No one’s ever done it to him. And I said I was going to do it with smart pressure. I felt comfortable.
“I just wanted to make a statement and show that I’m not the same fighter I was before. I’m new and improved. I’m comfortable. I know what my ring identity is and I wanted to make a statement. I’m ready for anyone out there.”
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com.
