What Canelo's Next Opponent Might Tell Us

So yeah, there's currently a lot of criticism out there for Mr. Canelo Alvarez. It's understandable, too. Reason away things all you want, fans have a right to see the best fight the best in a timely fashion...and pushing off a Canelo-GGG fight until at least next year is going to rightfully put off fans. Strange how boxing is the only sport I know of where the fans take a back seat (why is the UFC growing in popularity, you ask?).

At any rate, I have no idea what Canelo or his promoter Oscar De La Hoya are truly thinking, so I'm going to hold off criticizing these men outright. It's important to be fair, after all, especially in this age of click bait and knee jerk reactions. With that in mind, though, I feel Canelo's next choice of opponent might speak volumes regarding what his and Oscar's future plans are.

Should Canelo indeed surprise the world and face GGG next, well then all will - or should - be forgiven. Few think that will happen, though, so let's see what the other options are. There's challenging middleweights and junior middleweights out there like David Lemieux, Erislandy Lara and even Andy Lee. Should Canelo face men such as these, there may be good reason to believe the guy seriously wants to challenge himself...perhaps even in prep for a GGG showdown.

Should Canelo go the route of  Danny Garcia, however - or, worse yet, the route of Adonis Stevenson, then we know the parties' over, that he's a guy who is just cashing in while hoping GGG will decline through age or simply go away. Let's hope we don't hear a name from left field mentioned as the man's opponent this time around.

Then, of course, there's the save face move, otherwise known as Billy Joe Saunders. Saunders is a belt holder at middleweight, and like Canelo, has arguably appeared skittish of GGG. Since Saunders isn't seen as too much of a threat, at least in comparison to Golovkin, this may be the guy Oscar and Canelo try to get in the ring. Saunders seems like he may - "may" being the operative word here -  be a modern, risk averse fighter, though so he might simply have no genuine interest in a Canelo challenge.

So, in summations: none of us know where everyone's favorite red haired warrior is headed at this point, but by mid to late summer, the direction may indeed be clear.

Canelo's Reputation Takes A Major Hit

Look, I don't know what's in Canelo Alvarez' heart. I also have to come clean and admit I'm not a professional fighter. That pretty much means I'm in no position to charge someone who takes punches for a living of cowardice. In other words, I have no interest in being a keyboard warrior. I just want to be fair and call it like I see it.

And here's how I see it now that Canelo has given up his WBC title:

The man's reputation has taken a serious hit. It doesn't matter if he did the smart thing, the savvy thing or the strategic thing...he looks bad right now. Will the man's reputation be able to survive this? I don't know, but I can't imagine this sort of stain washing off too easy.

Canelo has given up his title freely, after all, so that a man who wants to fight him can have it without a fight. What's more, this comes after Canelo literally knocked a pumped up welterweight senseless less than two weeks ago. It doesn't look good, my friends, It just doesn't look good at all.

Again, I don't know what's in Canelo's heart. I'm not criticizing Canelo's decision here, nor am I criticizing his team. I'm simply analyzing the public fallout from that decision. Needless to say, that fallout is fairly harsh.

Perhaps Canelo will end up fighting GGG in September. That could end up being a reputation savior. Indeed, it would pretty much be the only way to wipe out the memory of what's just transpired.

Don't Be Surprised That GGG-Wade Brought In Decent Ratings

The fact of the matter is that people tuned in

Let's face it, 2016 has been a pretty rough year for boxing. The winter was a pure dead zone, with Spanish Language television essentially acting as the only steady outlet for fight fans. As for the rest of the year, well, let's just hope for the best knowing that Canelo isn't really interested in Golovkin and mid-level fights like Crawford-Postol look like they're actually going to cost fans money to see.

In short, there's been good reason why people have been down on boxing lately. There can't be a down if there isn't an up, however, and HBOs ratings for last weekend's GGG-Wade middleweight title fight were very good indeed - the highest of the year so far, in fact. Even though the million plus sets of eyeballs that were glued to Saturday's brief fight are nice to read about, they shouldn't be surprising.

Why?

Because HBO gave the fans what they wanted last weekend. Canelo or no Canelo, fans clearly wanted to see Golovkin ply his trade, much like they did Mike Tyson back in the day...and HBO was rewarded for putting the man on the air last weekend. Again, no one should be surprised. People want to see GGG, so his fights do well.

Likewise, Thurman-Porter might do very good ratings early this coming summer because it's giving fans what they want. Indeed, the ratings for Fury-Klitschko II will do solid ratings, even though that fight will most likely air smack in the middle of an American Saturday. Why? Because it's actually an interesting matchup, believe it or not.

The point here is obvious. All you have to do in order to have a healthy sport is to air healthy programming. That's if you actually want a healthy sport and not just a healthy bank account for the short term.

Gennady Golovkin Is Scary

The opposite of scary

Okay, so we all knew GGG was a pretty sharp razor walking into Saturday's fight with poor, way over his head Dominic Wade. After all, Gennady Golovkin has been tearing through the competition for years now. The problem, of course, is that few, if any, major names have been truly willing to face the man.

This led to there being question marks about the guy's skill. After all, good fighters - especially those who hit hard - have a knack of looking good against less than stellar opposition. What would actually happen, we all wondered, if and when Golovkin met some legit competition? Sadly, we may never know the answer - at least not while the man's in his prime.

What we can assume from Saturday night, however, is that GGG is no hype job. It isn't that Wade was a step up in class - it's that Golovkin was nearly disturbing in his destruction of the man. When you've been watching the sport as long as I have (don't ask), you truly do get a sense of things. Take Tyson, for instance. I remember watching him before he was a household name and, believe me, those of us who watched the guy from around the start knew. We just knew.

And now, after watching GGGs utter destruction of Wade, I can tell you that GGG is the real thing. Why? Because, just like thirty years ago, I just know. Golovkin isn't just dominant. He's scary. And scary doesn't come around too frequently in boxing. Dempsey. Liston. Foreman. Tyson. Am I missing anyone? The truth is that Golovkin has that once in generation fear factor element. And no, it isn't processed by the HBO ringside team. It's legit.

I don't like the fact that the guy's avoided, but I understand. This is the type of man, in the ring at least, who nightmares are made of.

What If Canelo Loses While The GGG Fight "Marinates?"

Things worth pondering

What little interaction I've had with Canelo Alvarez has been impressive. Here, my friends, is a real gentlemen in a world of blowhards and hype jobs. In case you haven't guessed it - I like the guy. I also think he's a lot of fun to watch in the ring. Canelo fights are rarely boring, after all. There's a problem afoot, however, and that problem is called Gennady Golovkin.

Most people, after all, feel Golovkin would essentially beat the hell out of Canelo in the ring. It appears promoter Oscar De La Hoya himself is aware of that distinct possibility, because he keeps trying to push back a fight between the two men, claiming the bout needs to "marinate." For those who aren't up to date on catch phrases, "marinate" is cute-speak for a potential fight becoming more lucrative. Needless to say, marinating is good for Oscar, himself a good guy and solid promoter, but not so good for the fans - or for GGG himself.

Boxing's new breed of fans are entirely in Oscar and Canelo's corner on this, mind you. You can read their comments on boxing websites where they declare that Canelo is the "A-side," and that people who don't like the way things are need to "deal with it, bitch." Thing is, the new breed is, thank heavens, in the minority here. Most fight fans are sports fans, not reality TV fans who live vicariously through the earned wealth of famous figures.

There's something else for Oscar and Canelo to be concerned about, though - what happens if Canelo loses while his fight with GGG marinates? What if Khan somehow shocks the world next month? What if Manny Pacquiao were to somehow miraculously do to Canelo what he did to Oscar years ago? What if David Lemieux were to land a haymaker? What if Miguel Cotto were to have the fight of his life?

What then?

You, I, and everyone else clearly know what the answer is.

Why Promoters May Have To Start Making Fan Friendly Fights

Fans may soon have something to smile about

Did you see Andre Ward last Saturday night? The guy looked good, didn't he? Unfortunately for HBO, the numbers for boxing haven't been great this year. Indeed, HBO hasn't given the world much boxing at all. Oh, and that Pacquiao-Bradley fight? The internet is abuzz wondering just how poorly it will do. Canelo-Khan is interesting, but no one's going nuts for it as far as I know. And what happens if Canelo wins, then decides he'd rather not bother with GGG? How long do you expect HIM to continue being boxing's top draw?

It's been said a million times - boxing is in a bad place right now. The truth, though, is that the sport may - MAY - be hitting bottom. And, believe it or not, that just might actually be a good thing. Interest in the sport has been in a real rut lately  and it's doubtful things will improve this Friday when Adrien Broner faces an opponent most casual fans have never heard of. Again, though, this may all prove to be a positive thing.

Why?

Because promoters are in the business of making money. And even the most patient network isn't going to produce events no one watches over and over again, ad infinitum,(especially if hedge fund money runs out). Boxing may not be at the point where even die hard fans are changing the channel just yet - but let's face it - it's getting awfully close to that point. And when that happens, you will probably be less apt to hear that fans "have to understand the business." The business will then do what businesses are supposed to - create quality product.

We're told over and over and over again that boxing is a business. That mantra has acted as a cloak for promoters for a while now.  Ironically, however, the business aspect of the sport may finally turn on them. And then things will start looking up. A gleam of hope may not be right around the corner  (Haymon can still pay for any crap he wants to put on the air, after all), but it may be on the horizon nonetheless.

A Critical Look At Gennady Golovkin

Sometimes a critical eye is needed

So I've been watching old Hagler fights lately. Sometimes you just have to go back to the classics. Sometimes you also have to take a look at older fights to see if a "great" fighter was really as great as you've been told he was. For the record, there was never any question in my mind whether or not Hagler was great, as I was raised watching him on television. With that in mind, however, it's easy to forget exactly HOW great the man really was.

Wars with Hearns and Mugabi, along with that controversial loss to Leonard, give us an image of a pure warrior. And while that's certainly true, there were other aspects to Hagler which are easy to overlook, like his movement, and WAY underrated defensive skills. Let's just say it's worth considering that Hagler may have peaked AFTER his talent had already begin to wane.

Which brings me to the feared and avoided Gennady Golovkin. Like Hagler, people seem to want him to get old before they face him. All the best with that. For unlike Hagler, GGG has a style that conserves energy. Watching him critically, it's hard not to notice what a patient fighter the man really is. And what a technically sound one.

Here's a man, after all, who cuts off the ring better than anyone I've ever seen - or can at least remember. He also picks his shots with amazing precision. Indeed, this is a man worthy of much of the attention he's received. Is he as good as advertised, though? HBOs analysts would argue so, but HBO is in the Gennady business. What's more, GGG takes punches - frequently. That's a trait that was never particularly noticeable in Hagler. Sure, Hearns nailed him, but who WASN'T Hearns able to land on?

Watching Hagler and Golovkin in action back to back, there's little doubt that Hagler's herky-jerky energy and movement would stand out in a battle between the two. Having said that, perhaps neither Hearns nor Mugabi hit as hard as GGG. Golovkin makes people quit on a regular basis, after all. And that's really saying something.

So, could the lauded GGG hold his own against a great like, say, Hagler? It's hard to say. If Hagler could take those punches, though, I'd give the Marvelous One the edge. The fact that the discussion even merits debate, however, speaks very highly of GGG indeed.

What If Khan Beats Canelo?

If you're like most fight fans, you take it as a matter of fact that Canelo Alvarez is pretty much going to walk down Amir Khan this May and turn him into a punching bag. It's easy to understand why. Canelo fights a significant number of pounds higher than Khan has up until now. What's more, Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya seems a bit skittish about having his man face GGG. It only stands to reason fans would therefore suspect that Oscar would match his star carefully against other opponents, as well.

What many of us are forgetting, however, is that Khan is an exceedingly skilled fighter. He unquestionably has his weaknesses, but Khan's ability in the ring is nothing short of impressive when he's at his best. It might also be worth keeping in mind that although Canelo may be popular, popularity does not go hand in hand with great ability. In other words, the man hasn't really shown signs of greatness in the ring - at least not yet.

Of course, there's also the small fact that boxing plays its favorites and it may be hard to imagine Canelo ever losing to Khan on the judge's scorecards in Vegas. Since Khan likely can't knock Canelo out at 155, it simply might not seem likely that he can walk away with the win under any circumstances.

Unless, of course, he really takes Canelo to school, like Mayweather did. No, Scratch that. Canelo still got a draw from one of the judges after Floyd made an easy night of him. Khan might have to do an even BETTER job than Floyd did against Canelo if he were to somehow even hope to move the judge's needle in his favor.

What if he were to do that, though? What if Khan were to surprise the world by fighting Canelo so efficiently that the judges absolutely, positively could NOT rule against him out of fear of getting the CJ Ross treatment? What if, in an even greater surprise, Khan were simply to get the better of Canelo and the judges ruled fairly?

Hey, it's not ENTIRELY out of the realm of possibility, is it?

So, what happens if Khan finds himself being the toast of the fight world? Well, for one thing, Khan would have gone from laughing stock to hero in the amount of time it takes to go through hedge fund money on a boxing series. The world would surely be his.

What would he do, though? Rematch Canelo? Go back down to welterweight? What if he were to stay at middleweight? Would he keep GGG at bay? Some would argue Khan is fine with keeping big fights from happening if they don't suit him. Just ask Kell Brook supporters. Will a new mega-bout be in order (between Khan and GGG) or will a planned mega bout (between Canelo and GGG) simply have died because of Canelo's insistence on marinating things to death, in the process leaving fans with nothing?

I find these questions fascinating. I may be getting ahead of myself here, of course. Then again...

Why Has Canelo Alvarez Become Boxing's New Bad Guy?

At the rate he's going, Canelo may soon start playing smaller venues

So no, Canelo Alvarez does not consider himself a middleweight - but he's going to hold on to the middleweight title. And while Gennady Golovkin is indeed a true middleweight, Canelo won't fight him unless GGG loses weight, possibly weakening himself in the process. Oh, and Canelo's in no big hurry to fight GGG, either. Just in case you want to know. Or not. Frankly, Canelo has made it clear he's not too interested in what most boxing fans think.

Indeed, Canelo has become a villain...and it seems to be a role he's embracing. Why, though? Why is this former warrior, this bright star in a dark night of boxing, taking such a turn?

Well, I could be wrong here. but I suspect he doesn't have much of a choice. See, Canelo's making a ton of cash these days facing the likes of Amir Khan and Miguel Cotto, terrific fighters who he should be able to beat. GGG, though, is another story entirely. I used to give Canelo a good chance against Golovkin, but now I feel either he or his team know the Kazakh cannot only beat the red haired slugger star, he can beat him out of stardom.

And then what happens? Where will all that pay per view money go? Canelo knows that fans will still pay to see him if he continues to avoid GGG - at least for a while. Eventually, of course, he'll be turned on, just like Julio Caesar Chavez Jr was. As a rule, fight fans can't abide divas. Until then, though, Canelo can still cash in. If he were to fight GGG soon, however, he wouldn't be able to cash in at all.

Canelo, simply put, is in a Catch 22 situation. He can continue making money while angering fans, or he can get his lights punched out in front of millions. And make no mistake about it, a loss to GGG most likely wouldn't be like Canelo's loss to Mayweather. No, it might well be more like Hatton's loss to Pacquiao.

And so there we have it.

I could, of course, be all wrong about this.

An Objective Look At Oscar De La Hoya, Promoter

This situation may well require a serious look

Oscar De La Hoya was some kind of fighter, let me tell you. Here was a guy who was not only talented and brave - he was game, as well. And by game, I mean willing to fight anyone. Anyone. This here was the real deal, folks. Win. Lose. Didn't matter. Oscar kept plugging along. Oh, and he usually won.

Even when he was past his prime, the guy was great. It still puzzles me why the man stopped jabbing away during his superfight against Floyd Mayweather, a fight De La Hoya was clearly winning in my eyes. Indeed, one could only imagine how things would have turned out had the Golden Boy been in his prime. As far as that final crushing loss to Manny Pacquiao goes, it was simply a bridge too far. Oscar knew it himself and wisely hung up the gloves afterwards. No shame. No damage to his sterling reputation.

Unfortunately, addiction consumed post-ring Oscar and his promotional business, it seems, faltered on account of it. Still, Oscar fought his demons and once again firmly took control of his company, Golden Boy Promotions. Everyone was happy for the guy - and with good reason. What's more, this improved version of Oscar said he wanted to see the best fight the best. As a promoter, he could have said no better words.

Thing is, now fans are starting to wonder. Canelo Alvarez, Oscar's star fighter, is not seeming at first glance like Oscar did in his prime right now. For one thing, Canelo - or his team - are insisting on a catch weight before Canelo faces the fearsome Gennady Golovkin for middleweight supremacy. What's more, that same team seems to be wanting to push back the mandatory matchup with GGG.

The problem here is that Oscar is one of the leading forces behind team Canelo - if not THE leading force. Oscar likes to say a fight with GGG needs to "marinate," but people are wondering if "marinate" means wait until GGG's boyish hair shows signs of gray. That may be unfair of people to consider, but it's what they're wondering nonetheless.

Indeed, fans are feeling something odd is afoot and that's too bad. Oscar, after all, has come a long way to rebuilding his hard earned and stellar reputation. It's also worth keeping in mind that neither Oscar nor Canelo have shown so much as an ounce of fear at the prospect of Canelo fighting GGG. So it may indeed be all about making as much money as possible on a very big matchup, as far as these men are concerned.

Still, fight fans want to see good fights. Unlike the power players that call the shots, they see boxing as a sport first, a business second. Oscar, at least at the moment, doesn't seem to see things the way fans do. His whole approach to Canelo-GGG seems a bit to coy, a bit too smooth, a bit, let's face it, too contemporary. And, in case you haven't guessed it, contemporary boxing practices are far from lauded.

With all that in mind, however, it seems Oscar may ("may" being the operative word here) have been hosed - perhaps not even intentionally - by Richard Schaefer, a Golden Boy honcho who might (again, be mindful of the operative word here - "might") have helped fight guru Al Haymon more than he did Oscar himself. In other words, Oscar's company may now be on shaky ground if its star, Canelo, loses badly.

Like it or not, boxing IS still a business and, yeah, Oscar is a businessman - one with responsibilities and mouths to feed. Then again, it's only fair to claim that boxing is a sport first and a business second. What's more, no one is forced into the promotion game. On top of that, it's Oscar who has been claiming he want to make the best fights.

Indeed, the whole thing might be considered a confusing mess. Even Schaefer might not be a snarling villain in all this. After all, he may well have only been trying to steer a company whose leader was on an extended bender through treacherous waters. It's easy to point fingers at guys like Schaefer without putting ourselves in his shoes at the time first.

The point here is that there's lots to consider when it comes to complex matters. And, yeah, believe it or not, the fight game is a complex matter. Ultimately, however, fans have a right to see the best fight the best. When that doesn't happen, the sport, and especially those power players who run it, fail in their obligations.