LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez smiled and playfully felt his face Tuesday.
A reporter had just commended Alvarez’s ever-reliable chin as one of the best assets he has displayed throughout his storied career. Alvarez clearly appreciated the compliment, but he also acknowledged that he’ll have to be even more mindful of his opponent’s power now that he has moved up two weight classes to challenge Sergey Kovalev.
Alvarez is a 4-1 favorite over Kovalev, but he stands four inches shorter than the WBO light heavyweight champion. The three-division champion from Mexico also will make his debut within the 175-pound division versus Kovalev, who has fought at light heavyweight throughout his career.
“Obviously, you must be very careful because it’s a new weight,” Alvarez told a group of reporters Tuesday following his “grand arrival” at MGM Grand. “Obviously, the punch is gonna be felt more. But as I said, I believe in my physical strength, and in my capacity as a fighter, my experience as well. And we have to pull everything out on Saturday.”
The 29-year-old Alvarez, the WBA middleweight champion, has trained with sparring partners in his recently completed camp who weighed approximately 200 pounds. Sparring against bigger guys enabled Alvarez to properly prepare himself for Kovalev’s punches Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena (DAZN).
The 36-year-old Kovalev knocked out previously unbeaten Anthony Yarde with a jab in the 11th round of his last fight, August 24 in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Kovalev’s hometown. Nevertheless, Andre Ward, the retired former light heavyweight champion who beat Kovalev twice, and others have suggested that Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) doesn’t have the same snap on his right hand that he had during his physical prime.
Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) dismissed the theory that he took the “calculated risk” of boxing Kovalev because he considers this a diminished version of “The Krusher.”
“In boxing, nothing’s calculated,” Alvarez said. “I don’t know where you asked that question from. If you know the history of boxing, it’s a contact sport. So, when you go out there, you give your life, so nothing’s calculated. We believe in our [ability] and our talent in order to win.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
