On July 12th Canelo Álvarez will be stepping back into the ring in Las Vegas for a bout being billed as “Honor v. Glory.” His opponent this go-around is Erislandy Lara. Don’t know who Erislandy Lara is? Don’t worry, not many casual boxing fans do. However, know this Lara is legit, so much so that many have been avoiding a fight with him. We here at ‘LLERO believe this bout has the potential to be what Mayweather v. Maidana was. We all know how that turned out!
With this surprise theme in mind we thought it an appropriate time to take a look at some of the reasons you may want to root for Team Canelo, but also a few that may have asking for a trade to Team Lara (or at least a chance to visit and see what its all about).
Team Lara
Lara knows how to create opportunity. Frustrated at what he perceived to be Canelo ducking him, Lara decided to take matters into his own hands and went to a Canelo post-fight press conference. Not only did he attend. Lara took to the podium while Canelo was speaking, interrupted Canelo to ask him why he will not fight him since it’s the fight the public wants. Canelo was visibly surprised and upset. This was a classic Clubber Lang move straight out of Rocky III – which worked. Gotta respect the initiative and cojones.
Team Canelo
Canelo walks the walk. Sure, you may want to hate on the guy. He’s got the popularity, fame, accolades and most recently a nod from People En Español as one of its 50 Most Beautiful People. So it does give haters plenty of ammo. Yet, you have to admit that the man does walk the walk. Prime example, post Mayweather he said he would stay active and fight three times in 2014. He’s already on fight number two and should he win, is eying number three by the end of the year. He said he would go toe to toe with his last opponent Alfredo Angulo. He did and came out on top of each exchange. Lara challenged him in public to a fight. Canelo quickly ok’d the match. He could have dodged Lara, but decided to take the fight against the wishes of his advisors.
Team Lara
Lara’s is a fighter other fighters don’t want to fight. Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya said it himself. If you’ve tuned into All Access: Canelo v. Lara, De La Hoya point blank tells the camera this is not a fight I wanted for Canelo. Why? Because Lara is dangerous. He is a fighter with a great Cuban amateur background. Lara knows how to control distance, has a good mix of power and speed, but more importantly throws punches at unorthodox angles, which has the potential to frustrate Canelo. As a result, pundits and hardcore fans alike believe this is a very evenly matched bout.
Team Canelo
Canelo keeps getting better. Although Lara is considered by many an even match. Canelo has a few positives of his own. For one, the guy is strong as a bull, he has the ability to change a fight with one punch – just ask Austin Trout. Also, he’s getting better defensively and his combination punching is improving. To be at this level at only 23-years old and to keep improving at this quick rate is impressive and reason why you’d like to see more of it.
Team Lara
Lara would add new blood to the mix. Figuratively, not literally. An often noted gripe in the fight game is that the established fighters only fight themselves or guys they know they can beat. A victory by Lara would mean a new contender on the scene. The new blood would help create a number of interesting match-ups for Lara and others. Also, it would ensure new generations of stars continue to emerge. After all, guys like Mayweather, Pacquiao and Cotto only have so many so much time left.
Team Canelo
Should Canelo win, Miguel Cotto looms large. Cotto is coming off a career-defining win over Sergio Martinez, so his bankability is up. Canelo’s bankability has never waned. The bout would be great for boxing and another fight to add to the rich history of Mexico v. Puerto Rico showdowns. Put the two of these together and you’ve got a fight that even the casual fan will pay attention to – meaning you’ll find not just Jack Nicholson ringside, but probably Oprah – yeah it could be that big.
