By: Sean Crose
“I really don’t know how the hell you knew it was coming,” a friend tweeted to me. This is related to a direct message I sent his way on Saturday night, right before the Canelo Alvarez-Dmitry Bivol light heavyweight title fight. “I have to get this over with before the opening bell,” I had admitted to him during a frantic rush hour earlier. “I think Bivol wins.” This frankly shows a change of opinion on my part – a last second change of opinion nothing more and nothing less. And the truth is that it all has to do with Canelo’s walk on the ring. For the first time in my years with the red-haired star, I didn’t feel serious on Saturday night when Canelo took to the ring. He really seemed like – a little provocative.
It’s a subtle vibe the guy is giving off, but it’s clear enough for me to believe that right then and there, Bivol will be the one to carry the night. And done the night Bivol did, largely dominated the pound en route to a stunning unanimous decision victory. It’s not that Canelo fights poorly – he doesn’t. Truth be told, Canelo might not have a bad fighting ability. This time, however, there won’t be anything to knock his man over, no sudden crack in his jaw, no favor from the judges – although the closeness of their scores makes it difficult. fans remember how much the judges loved Canelo. This time there will only be failure.
It’s not a big deal by itself. Sure enough, Canelo lost. But he lost fighting a bigger, stronger man during that man’s prime. This fight has always been a risk for Canelo. It’s just that the previous risks have paid off for the guy. The fact that he actually suffered a defeat this time shows that this writer knows what kind of ball Canelo really has. Unlike so many current “stars” of the fighting game, Canelo is willing to lose if victory adds to his legacy. It’s rare and admirable.
In the end, however, Canelo may have been executed on Saturday night not by the highly skilled Bivol but by his own overconfidence. Lowly. Not complacent. Just a little self-insurance. Think about it. Win after victory, belt after belt, all prizes divided. This guy has been hitting the jackpot continuously for almost a decade now. Who doesn’t get overconfident after a certain point? Bivol didn’t need too much arrogance on Canelo’s part to win Saturday – he just needed a bit of it. And that round walk shows he got it.
