By Norm Frauenheim –
Canelo Alvarez moves forward, forever forward. In the ring. Out of it, too.
In a twist to an old line, his life on the safe side of the ropes is beginning to imitate his punishing mastery of a brutal art.
He wears silk pajamas. Sorry, Marvin Hagler. Hagler used to say that it was hard to get up early to train when you’ve been sleeping in silk sheets. Hagler’s words are classic, a timeless warning about how wealth in a successful prizefighting career can erode motivation.
But the reasons to fight remain undiminished in Canelo (51-1-2, 38 KOs), powerfully evident and still evolving in a 31-year-old fighter moving into his prime Saturday against Caleb Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) with business-like attention to detail.
He wears caps and T-shirts that include trainer Eddy Reynoso’s trademark motto:
No Boxing, No Life.
It’s good advertising, marketing that sells gloves and gear. But it’s also a philosophy, a guide that helps define how Canelo fights. How he lives. Other than the ropes, there’s no separation between the two. Boxing buys the silk. It allows him to work on his handicap on the golf course when he’s not in the gym working on how to handicap his next opponent.
This week, it happens to be Plant in Canelo’s pursuit of the fourth significant piece to the super-middleweight title at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena (Showtime PPV). Months from now, it could be David Benavidez, who is expected to stay in the Canelo mix against Kyrone Davis on Sept. 13 in Phoenix another Showtime-televised 168-pound bout.
Or, it could be against a bigger fighter in a jump up to light-heavyweight in the beginning of another bid for another unified title.
Canelo likes to say he is pursuing history. That’s a little easier to do these days with a preponderance of title and weight classes. But make no mistake about his pursuit. It’s methodical, almost merciless if, like Plant, you happen to be in his way.
“They know what I’m going to do in the ring, even more so in this fight,’’ said Canelo, who is seeking to become the first so-called undisputed champion in the 54-year history of the super-middleweight division. The weight class was created in 1967.
They – Plant and his corner – should know. It’s hard not to for anybody who has watched Canelo’s steady, almost deliberate ascent from an entertaining kid from Mexico with red hair to the feared fighter he is today.
There’s always something new, some additional tactical wrinkle to his war chest. Sustaining a successful business means evolving. Canelo always is. A couple of years ago, there was more head movement. More defense.
Lately, there appears to be more precision to his power, a warning for Plant, who might be in trouble if he doesn’t deliver a punch in the early rounds that says he has enough power to hurt Canelo.
It’s abundantly clear that neither Canelo nor the odds makers think Plant has that power. It’s never really been there with much consistency. The betting odds favor Canelo by a one-sided margin, now at 11-1.
Then, there’s Canelo’s evident confidence. He’s relaxed and seemingly as sure of himself as he has ever been. He’s a man in command of the ring and the bully pulpit. Years ago, he relied on an interpreter to translate his Spanish. In the weeks before Saturday’s opening bell, he’s been answering questions in English. He’s even been translating for Reynoso.
It’s just another sure sign that Canelo never quits learning.
Against Plant, he says the fight is personal. For a fighter who conducts himself according to the No Boxing, No Life motto, when is it not?
Plant, who was involved in altercation with Canelo a couple of month ago during a news conference in Los Angeles, knows that. He said so Wednesday after the final formal news conference at the MGM Grand.
“All fights are personal for me,’’ Plant told reporters. “It’s not a job. It’s my whole life. My dad is a boxing coach. My wife is a boxing reporter. …
“It’s all we do, all we think about.
“Anybody getting in my way of what I’m trying to accomplish — being remembered after I’m no longer here – anybody trying to disrupt that, that’s personal.’’
In other words: No Boxing, No Life.
Canelo makes it personal better than anyone. It’s the way he does business.
“I need to be patient the few first rounds, like Eddy said,’’ Canelo says. “Then, I’ll start doing my job.”
Prediction: He’ll do to Plant what he did to Avni Yildirim and Billy Joe Saunders in his last two bouts. Yildirim quit after three rounds. Saunders’ corner threw in the towel after eight. This one figures to end with Plant on the stool, finished in a late round.
