HBO PPV : Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan – The Talking Points

(Hogan Photos / Golden Boy Promotions)

By now fans have seen most of the documentary shows, TV specials or read various pieces regarding the big “Cinco de Mayo” boxing event set to headline at the brand new TMOBILE Arena in Las Vegas this weekend. However, there is sometimes too much information to take in and it would be a lot easier to just have the best topics to discuss amongst family and friends during the big fight on one easy to read format. Well, low and behold this is probably it and it features some of the better talking points to debate. So, before Captain America and Iron Man go to battle on the big screen, let’s discuss a real-life civil war brewing inside of the TMOBILE Arena as Golden Boy Promotions presents their highly anticipated HBO PPV this Saturday in Sin City.

A Boxing Tradition

First of all, you have to give it up to Amir “King” Khan (31-3 w/19 KOs) for stepping up to this monster of a challenge. The British superstar has guts and he is proving it once again by moving up two weight classes to take on his biggest opponent to date, which simultaneously seasons this match with some very rich value.  Khan is keeping the sport’s tradition going of established welterweights jumping up to super welterweight and middleweight or even higher in order to truly test their mettle.  Living legends “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearnsdid it; more recently Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao did as well as Oscar De La Hoya, incidentally the promoter of this bout. Whether boxing purists like or dislike Khan, they’ll have to give him some respect for understanding the nature of the beast and leveraging himself into a whole other stratosphere if he were to capture the WBC middleweight crown.

They Fear Amir  

Photo by Armando Romo

You have to wonder besides his God-given hand speed and unbelievable heart, why has Khan lurked in the boxing shadows here and there as a “Boogieman” of sorts? What are we missing here?  Top Pound for Pound greats in Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiaowouldn’t get into the ring with him and it was abundantly clear that Khan was calling them out and restructuring his schedule to be ready for bouts with either in the past couple of years. Before those failed talks we can go back even further to 5-7 years ago when living legendsErik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez elected not to tangle with Khan citing a “high risk-low reward” dynamic.

Do all of these brave men see something the casual fan does not thus opting away from a “King” Khan test, maybe? At least we can give Canelo props for looking under the bed and confronting the boxing Boogieman.

That Undeniable Risk

Let’s really take a look at the compounding risk factor here for the Ring Magazine and WBC 160lbs champion. For all intents and purposes, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (46-1-1 w/32 KOs) stands to lose allot more than he will gain here. I doubt he feels that the bragging rights of being one half of the very first boxing event at the TMOBILE Arena and a guaranteed purse of over $10 Million are satisfyingly enough of an outcome to warrant such a gamble.

If the 5-1 favorite were to lose it would be catastrophic to his ultra-popular career at this moment. A rumored September mega-fight against Manny Pacquiao would come tumbling down, losing the leverage to lure Pacquiao into the ring via the biggest bargaining chip; a title in Pacman’s would be 9^th weight class. Also, the Mexican superstar could miss out on a highly exciting middleweight title unification bout against undefeated champion, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin.Coincidentally, Golovkin will be doing a meet and greet on the eve of Saturdays HBO PPV, so it’s obvious that he is in town scouting his future opponent.

Revenge And Redemption

“I wouldn’t have taken this fight if I didn’t think I could take it” said Khan to the press at Tuesday’s grand arrivals inside the MGM Grand hotel lobby. Whichever way you approach it there is some real soul searching here for “King” Amir. He looks deceivingly calm on the outside but you just know a part of him is desperately searching for that boxing throne that has eluded him for some time now. There has to be a desire for vengeance boiling up inside of him as he aims to finally quiet all of his doubters and naysayers that point to his KO losses to Prescott and Garcia as arguments that he has come up short on the big stage. There is no stage bigger than this; a brand new arena, full blown Tecate promotion, multi-media coverage and an HBO 24/7 documentary- the very first for Amir. It’s time for the British star to put up or shut up because he definitely cannot squander the opportunity.

This championship bout has that sense of redemption for Canelo as he makes his first defense of a belt  some still argue he did not convincingly win last November from Miguel Cotto. The Chavez’s and Marquez’s of the world hint that it could have been a draw or gone Cotto’s way so, Canelo can put out the fires of controversy defending what he feels is rightfully his.

This Saturday we have two highly skilled fighters with as much fame and popularity as anyone currently in the game.  Regardless of what side you may take we can all agree that in any match-up you will undoubtedly have two men with differing characteristics, speed,  styles, power, and  technique but one dangerously similar thought process which is: I will win.  They traveled from completely opposite sides of the world just to one day cross paths and meet at this pivotal point in their careers, all while middleweight glory is at stake as well as an even brighter future full of riches, popularity and limelight for the winner that night. That only makes it the ultimate talking point to tune in live from the brand new TMOBILE Arena this Saturday as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defends his Ring and WBC titles against Amir Khan as they headline the Cinco de Mayo weekend HBO PPV.