LAS VEGAS -- Cinco de Mayo used to be a weekend reserved for a Floyd Mayweather mega fight. Now the new money man in the sport, and Mexican native, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez typically rules the weekend. This year will be no different as Alvarez will put his WBC and WBA middleweight titles on the line in a unification fight on May 4 against IBF champion Daniel Jacobs on DAZN. Two things boxing fans love are unification fights and fights where the outcome could easily go either way and this fight will have both.
There is little doubt that Alvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) is a top five pound-for-pound fighter, and he's probably as high as three. He has a wonderful mix of punching power and skills and he blends the two to near perfection. What Alvarez does best is counter punch. From the outside and middle distance Alvarez will often employ a high guard and unleash accurate counter punches that do serious damage, and if they land clean on the chin, end a fight in an instant. On the inside Alvarez does a tremendous job of banging the body which helps him break opponents down. Over time Alvarez has gotten noticeably better on defense and not only does he have a tremendous chin but he also does a nice job of using subtle movement to slip punches.
At just 28 years old Alvarez has already put together a Hall of Fame worthy resume. His only loss came in 2013 when he was taken to school by Mayweather. He also had a very close fight against Erislandy Lara and was given the split decision victory. His fights against Gennady Golovkin have caused a lot of controversy. The first fight ended in a draw, although many felt Golovkin clearly won. The second fight was closer and while Alvarez got the majority decision many felt that a Golovkin victory would have been the better decision. Along with his victories over Golovkin and Lara he has also beaten fighters like Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, and Shane Mosley. No matter how you feel about Alvarez you have to give him credit for regularly taking on the best. In his most recent fight he moved up to the super middleweight division and demolished Rocky Fielding to earn a WBA super middleweight title. Now Alvarez will move back down to his familiar middleweight division to take on a very tough test in Jacobs.
While Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) is four years older than Alvarez he's actually been fighting for two years less as a professional. Jacobs will have a height and reach advantage though and that could play a role in this fight because he has an excellent jab that he can control rounds with from the outside. When fans talk of the biggest punchers in the sport Jacobs often gets overlooked but he has serious power in both hands. On the inside Jacobs likes to attack the body, especially with his left hook, but he finds just as much success from the outside with that left hook and a powerful right hand he will throw straight or over the top. Unlike Alvarez who always stays very calm, Jacobs can get a bit wild at times when he thinks he has his opponent hurt. When Jacobs fought Golovkin he showed that he could get off the canvas and continue to fight very well and while he is solid defensively his chin isn't the most indestructible. In 2010 he was knocked out by Dmitry Pirog and he's also been dropped by Golovkin and the light hitting Sergio Mora. Fans who have seen Alvarez fight know that judges seem to love him so Jacobs can't afford getting dropped.
If Jacobs' loss to Pirog was a speed bump in his career, an osteosarcoma, or bone cancer diagnosis, nearly derailed it. Doctors weren't sure if Jacobs would even survive the cancer and he was left partially paralyzed for a short time. Certainly not many expected Jacobs to not only beat his cancer but come back to boxing and beat every opponent put in front of him on his way to a WBA middleweight title. On his way to that title Jacobs beat the likes of Caleb Truax, Sergio Mora twice, and Peter Quillin. He then took on Golovkin and was dropped in the fourth round before coming back to box beautifully only to drop a close unanimous decision. After that loss Jacobs handed Luis Arias and Maciej Sulecki their first career losses and then did the same to Sergiy Derevyachenko to capture the vacant IBF title he now holds. Against Alvarez, Jacobs will look to hold on to his IBF strap and leave the ring with Alvarez's WBA and WBC titles as well.
Although the sports books have Alvarez as a clear favorite, most fans view this as an even fight. Jacobs is bigger and a bit more athletic and as far as pure power goes he's also the bigger puncher. Alvarez is the sharper puncher though and his chin is one of the best in the sport. Look for this fight to showcase a good mix and boxing and punching. On the inside both Alvarez and Jacobs will be looking to bang to the body and from the outside Jacobs will look to control the distance with his excellent jab and keep Alvarez at the end of his right hand while Alvarez will be patient and look to catch Jacobs with accurate counter punches. Whichever way this fight plays out it should remain even throughout and fans should be treated to a fantastic spectacle of skills and power.
PREDICTION: Daniel Jacobs has enough power to knock anyone out but Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has a special chin that allows him to absorb even the most brutal of punches. Jacobs should win his fair share of rounds by boxing well from the outside and putting in some good body work when he fights in the pocket. The problem for Jacobs is that Alvarez will have just as much success and a knockdown by Alvarez in the middle rounds will help him secure this fight on the cards with a very close unanimous decision.
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| Alvarez sticking a right hand to the body of Rocky Fielding |
At just 28 years old Alvarez has already put together a Hall of Fame worthy resume. His only loss came in 2013 when he was taken to school by Mayweather. He also had a very close fight against Erislandy Lara and was given the split decision victory. His fights against Gennady Golovkin have caused a lot of controversy. The first fight ended in a draw, although many felt Golovkin clearly won. The second fight was closer and while Alvarez got the majority decision many felt that a Golovkin victory would have been the better decision. Along with his victories over Golovkin and Lara he has also beaten fighters like Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, Austin Trout, and Shane Mosley. No matter how you feel about Alvarez you have to give him credit for regularly taking on the best. In his most recent fight he moved up to the super middleweight division and demolished Rocky Fielding to earn a WBA super middleweight title. Now Alvarez will move back down to his familiar middleweight division to take on a very tough test in Jacobs.
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| Jacobs catching Sergiy Derevyachenko with a left hook |
If Jacobs' loss to Pirog was a speed bump in his career, an osteosarcoma, or bone cancer diagnosis, nearly derailed it. Doctors weren't sure if Jacobs would even survive the cancer and he was left partially paralyzed for a short time. Certainly not many expected Jacobs to not only beat his cancer but come back to boxing and beat every opponent put in front of him on his way to a WBA middleweight title. On his way to that title Jacobs beat the likes of Caleb Truax, Sergio Mora twice, and Peter Quillin. He then took on Golovkin and was dropped in the fourth round before coming back to box beautifully only to drop a close unanimous decision. After that loss Jacobs handed Luis Arias and Maciej Sulecki their first career losses and then did the same to Sergiy Derevyachenko to capture the vacant IBF title he now holds. Against Alvarez, Jacobs will look to hold on to his IBF strap and leave the ring with Alvarez's WBA and WBC titles as well.
Although the sports books have Alvarez as a clear favorite, most fans view this as an even fight. Jacobs is bigger and a bit more athletic and as far as pure power goes he's also the bigger puncher. Alvarez is the sharper puncher though and his chin is one of the best in the sport. Look for this fight to showcase a good mix and boxing and punching. On the inside both Alvarez and Jacobs will be looking to bang to the body and from the outside Jacobs will look to control the distance with his excellent jab and keep Alvarez at the end of his right hand while Alvarez will be patient and look to catch Jacobs with accurate counter punches. Whichever way this fight plays out it should remain even throughout and fans should be treated to a fantastic spectacle of skills and power.
PREDICTION: Daniel Jacobs has enough power to knock anyone out but Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez has a special chin that allows him to absorb even the most brutal of punches. Jacobs should win his fair share of rounds by boxing well from the outside and putting in some good body work when he fights in the pocket. The problem for Jacobs is that Alvarez will have just as much success and a knockdown by Alvarez in the middle rounds will help him secure this fight on the cards with a very close unanimous decision.
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