With Floyd Mayweather retired (for now), Saul "Canelo" Alvarez steps up to reclaim Cinco de Mayo weekend TONIGHT (Sat., May 7, 2016), taking on England's Amir Khan inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of "Canelo vs. Khan," starting with the HBO pay-per-view (PPV) broadcast this Saturday at 9 p.m. ET.
In addition, blue-chip prospect Frankie Gomez takes on professional hype-wrecker Mauricio Herrera. David Lemieux looks to rebound from his loss to Gennady Golovkin against Glen Tapia, and Patrick Teixeira puts his unbeaten record on the line against the always-dangerous Curtis Stevens.
The main event is what's bringing in the fans, though, so let's take a closer look. Is it the mismatch it resembles on paper, or will "King Khan" have a surprise for us?
The Particulars
Name: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez
Age: 25
Record: 46-1-1, 32 KO
Last Five Fights: Miguel Cotto (UD), James Kirkland (KO-3), Erislandy Lara (SD), Alfredo Angulo (TKO-10), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (MD Loss)
Significant Victories (other than those mentioned above): Austin Trout, Ryan Rhodes
VS.
Name: Amir "King" Khan
Age: 29
Record: 31-3, 19 KO
Last Five Fights: Chris Algieri (UD), Devon Alexander (UD), Luis Collazo (UD), Julio Diaz (UD), Carlos Molina (RTD-10)
Significant Victories (other than those mentioned above): Zab Judah, Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi
THE FIGHT
If Khan were five pounds larger and had a chin made of something other than wet tissue paper, I'd pick him to win this. Alvarez, unlike some of his country's pugilistic legends, is not a come-forward bruiser -- he's a patient stalker, although he does bring Mexico's traditional wilting body attack to bear. He is infinitely less effective when he can't plant his feet, as aptly demonstrated in his fights with Trout, Lara and Mayweather.
Khan can move quite well and -- despite somewhat underwhelming power -- puts together some of the sport's fastest combinations. Against Alvarez, who is a solid ring cutter but still has a lot of room to grow in that area, that's a very effective skill set.
Unfortunately, he isn't five pounds larger and does have a chin made of wet tissue paper. Khan's struggled with his punch resistance throughout his career, from disasters against Breidis Prescott and Danny Garcia to near-misses against Maidana and Diaz. The idea that the same man who struggled to stay on his feet against junior welterweights can withstand Alvarez's punishing blows is hard to swallow.
Khan has improved under the tutelage of Virgil Hunter and his much-hyped speed advantage is legitimate. At the same time, his habit of fighting like he has something to prove and getting blasted to pieces because of it might be impossible to expunge considering how many beatings it's survived. Odds are, some early success sends Khan's underdog status even further into his head, leaving him wide open for Canelo's booming right hand.
Prediction: Alvarez via fourth-round technical knockout
Remember, UFC Rotterdam isn't until Sunday, so there's nothing stopping you from joining us later this evening for a rousing evening of extreme violence.
Hope to see you there!