By Allan Fox: Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe says Canelo Alvarez is “not invincible,” and he believes that he’s going to return up the loser this Saturday evening on November sixth when he tangles with IBF tremendous middleweight champion Caleb Plant on the MGM Grand Backyard Enviornment in Las Vegas.
Ellerbe says he watched Canelo look horrible in his loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, and he’s seen him lose rounds to many different fighters as effectively.
Leonard thinks that ‘Sweethands’ Plant (21-0, 12 KOs) can outbox WBA/WBC/WBO champion Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KOs) once they headline this Saturday on Showtime PPV.
It is a history-making combat between the 31-year-old Canelo and Plant, as they’ll be combating to try to turn into the primary undisputed tremendous middleweight champion for the division.
There have been many undisputed champions prior to now. Nonetheless, it’s turn into more and more tougher these days as a result of the totally different and promoters and champions are proof against dealing with different champs in the event that they really feel there’s an opportunity they may lose.
The explanation Canelo has been in a position to get this far in his aim of turning into undisputed champion at 168 is due to his recognition and the cash that his opponents could make combating him.
If Canelo was only a nice champion however didn’t convey huge cash to the desk for his opponents, you possibly can argue he would have NEVER been given an opportunity to combat WBA champion Callum Smith, WBO belt holder Billy Joe Saunders or IBF champ Caleb Plant.
Being well-known has enabled Canelo to do what different fighters can’t do as a result of they don’t convey the cash he does.
Caleb Plant can win
“In fact, he can. I’m anticipating him to win the combat,” stated Leonard Ellerbe to Struggle Hub TV when requested if Canelo will be crushed. “I’m anticipating Caleb Plant to win the combat.
“He’s an incredible fighter, and he’s not had this type of alternative earlier than, however I’m very assured he’ll rise to the event. That’s all a fighter wants generally is a platform and a possibility.
“Canelo is an incredible fighter. He’s one of many prime fighters on the market proper now. Folks assume he’s simply going to stroll by Caleb, and I don’t learn about that,” stated Ellerbe when requested about how Plant obtained the worst of it throughout the press convention when Canelo hit him throughout the face-off, leading to his proper eye being reduce.
“Boxing don’t work like that. Rounds are scored spherical by spherical by spherical,” stated Ellerbe. “I seen this man [Canelo] get outboxed in rounds. What makes you assume Caleb Plant doesn’t have the flexibility to try this once I know what he’s able to doing?” stated Ellerbe.
Alvarez, 31, is an effective fighter, however he’s hampered by brief arms, stamina points, and lack of ability to cope with a jab when his taller opponents keep on the surface.
The one factor Canelo can do is put up his excessive guard and try to stroll them down so he can get shut sufficient to bang them to the physique with hooks or land uppercuts.
In opposition to a slick mover like Mayweather and Erislandy Lara, Canelo was helpless. He ought to have misplaced each fights, however within the case of Erislandy, he was given a extremely controversial choice.
It’s troublesome to say whether or not Plant can win a choice towards Canelo as a result of the combat is in Las Vegas, and we’ve already seen how he’s given rounds based mostly on him touchdown one or two punches.
For Plant to win, he’s going to wish to make Canelo look unhealthy to the purpose the place the judges gained’t wish to put themself on the firing line by giving him the choice.
It is going to be troublesome for Plant to win the rounds in such a lopsided method for the judges to provide him the victory.
Once more, Canelo has proven that he can constantly win rounds towards his opposition even when being badly outworked and seemingly outclassed.
Having judges working the fights that don’t depend jabs and physique photographs when factoring of their scoring offers Canelo an incredible benefit. Primarily, the one approach to beat Canelo by a choice is to get within the trenches with him and beat him at his personal recreation by slugging.
That’s not simple to do until you’ve got a metal chin and formidable punching energy. The one man this author sees at 168 with the facility and chin to get the higher of Canelo in a battle is David Benavidez, however he hasn’t proven any curiosity in combating him.
Canelo didn’t trouble going after the WBC 168-lb title till AFTER Benavidez misplaced the belt when he got here in obese for a title protection in 2020. The Mexican star Canelo isn’t silly.
He is aware of Benavidez could be an actual drawback for him and would probably beat him. Therefore, Canelo has chosen to go within the path of least resistance by combating Saunders, Rocky Fielding, Callum Smith, and now Plant.
Canelo isn’t invincible
“He’s [Canelo] a superb fighter, however he will be crushed. We’ve already seen that. Floyd [Mayweather] made him appear like he’d by no means boxed earlier than, however that’s Floyd Mayweather. I’m not evaluating Caleb to Floyd Mayweather.
“What I’m saying is, I’ve seen Canelo’s fights, and I’ve seen him lose rounds towards Billy Joe Saunders, I’ve seen him lose rounds towards [Sergey] Kovalev, simply to call these two. So why can it make me assume that Caleb can’t win rounds?
“I didn’t say he was going to cease the man [Canelo], however who is aware of what occurs in boxing? This man isn’t invincible. He’s a fighter, and he’s an excellent fighter, however do I feel Caleb Plant goes to beat him? Sure, he’s going to beat him,” Ellerbe stated.
Floyd Mayweatrher Jr. took Canelo to highschool in 2013, taking away his capability to counterpunch and demobilize his offense nearly fully.
When Canelo did have some temporary success within the championship rounds, Mayweather shut him down by getting on his bike and utilizing motion to stymie his comeback.
You’ll be able to guess that Caleb Plant and his coaching crew have watched Canelo’s combat with Mayweather at least 100 instances and have taken detailed notes to make use of for his or her recreation plan on Saturday evening.
What’s shocking is Canelo’s opposition for the reason that Mayweather and Erislandy Lara fights weren’t sensible or disciplined sufficient to observe Floyd’s blueprint on beating the Mexican star.
We noticed Gennady Golovkin use Mayweather’s blueprint with nice success in his first combat with Canelo in 2017, however sadly, the judges scored it a 12 spherical draw.
However within the rematch, Golovkin did not again up and field Canelo when he got here ahead the best way he had towards Mayweather. If Golovkin had continued to observe Mayweather’s blueprint within the rematch, he would have gotten the higher of him and presumably been given the choice.
I feel Golovkin nonetheless deserved not less than a draw out of that combat as a result of Canelo gassed out terribly within the second half of the battle and appeared to lose 5 out of the final six rounds. I gave Golovkin one of many first six rounds, so he ought to have gotten a draw out of the combat.
Ellerbe assured Plant wins
“You can’t try this as a result of guys rise to the event,” stated Ellerbe when instructed that boxing followers are basing Plant’s probabilities of beating Canelo based mostly on his previous opposition or lack thereof. “In case you’re given the chance, guys rise to the event.
“Once they’re combating the very best guys on the market, they’re coming, and I’m assured that Caleb Plant, that is the combat of his life, and he’s going to rise to the event. It’s an incredible combat, and I’m actually wanting ahead to that one myself,” stated Ellerbe in selecting Plant to beat Canelo.
Ellerbe is right about his touch upon Canelo dropping rounds to his varied opposition as a result of we’ve all seen that occur prior to now.
Many boxing followers don’t bear in mind seeing Canelo getting outboxed as a result of he’s been handpicking his opposition within the final yr in selecting to go after the 168-lb champions Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith.
Canelo additionally threw in a compulsory protection towards a woefully poor Avni Yildirim, a combat that DAZN surprisingly selected to broadest on their platform.
When Canelo was nonetheless taking up robust opposition, he misplaced quite a lot of rounds towards Gennadiy Golovkin, Erislandy Lara, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
These fights confirmed that Canelo has issues when he fights long-armed fighters that use their jabs and don’t let him get in near land his energy photographs or counter punch.
