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CThe Mayo Inco Weekend is for years the closest thing to Super Bowl Sunday, a destination weekend that serves as an annual showcase for top athletes. Since Julio César Chávez co-opted for the first time, the first Saturday in May was usually reserved for the most popular boxing fighter in one of the biggest fights of the year, almost always in Las Vegas. Oscar De La Hoya took over in the early years before giving it to Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, who took turns each before sharing the date of their 2015 show.
Since then, he belongs to Canelo Álvarez, WBA and WBC middleweight champion, whose status as the biggest boxing star has been formalized in the fall when he signed a contract of Five years and eleven fights worth a minimum of $ 365 million with DAZN, the up-and-coming streaming subscription service that is attempting to disrupt the pay-per-view model in order to become the Netflix of the sport.
The second bout of the Álvarez affair takes place Saturday night against Daniel Jacobs of Brooklyn, holder of the IBF Fragmented Middleweight Championship coin, during a unification fight at the T-Mobile Arena. The two fighters took the weight contracted during the weigh-in on Friday, after which the spirits warmed during the traditional day of reflection.
"Emotions fly high. I have never shrunk from a challenge in my life, "said Jacobs. "I'm from Brownsville [in Brooklyn, New York]. I have never done it and I will never do it. Listen, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. I feel like the best middleweight in the world, and that bastard out there, he's going to get it. … Let's do this Saturday night! Period! Banging me with this big-ass head, it's time to put on. "
Álvarez, via an interpreter, said: "I see fear, and that's the fear he's made. For me and my people, my team and my fans, it's very important [to win]. This is the challenge we face, but I am ready to meet it and we will win. "
A second weigh-in waits Saturday morning at 8 am local time, following a rehydration clause in the contract, where Álvarez and Jacobs expose him to a fine of $ 250,000 per pound beyond 170 pounds.
It must be said that, given the generally discouraging content of the backdrop of Cinco de Mayo, the atmosphere that prevailed in the city in the days leading up to the fight was remarkably under control. On Friday night, there were tickets available, even the $ 200 cheap seats normally gone a few minutes after the exit, and apparently a lot. There are no closed-circuit viewing parts on the surrounding properties, which is virtually unknown for a fight of this magnitude. It turns out that the absence of a major network pumping a nonstop fight makes the difference. (ESPN and Fox, no doubt wary of the new disruptor, do not take advertising money for the fight.)
DAZN's attempted blitz on the US market seems to have stopped, as their limited number of viewers have already forced them to double their subscription rates while creating problems for landing locations. of their events. But the lack of buzz decided during the showdown on Saturday contradicts the quality of the match, which is one of the best fights that can be done today in all divisions.
Álvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs), a 160-pound linear champion since he had dominated Miguel Cotto four years ago, is rightly the favorite even though the odds of nearly 5-1 in his favor speak more of his brand than his best brand, form and caliber of the opposition. Guadalajara's red-headed punch comes from the three-tower destruction of poor Rocky Fielding, a shift by design that was more of an infomercial for DAZN than a legitimate world title contest. Previously, however, the Guadalajaran had won their best career victory against Gennady Golovkin in his second game after the first game after a controversial draw.
Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) was one of the most promising boxing players when he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a life-threatening form of bone cancer, in May 2011. After a series of interventions at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center to remove the tumor of the size of a quarter that has wrapped around his spine and the left completely paralyzed under his waist, he started the long path that led him to the ring through physical rehabilitation in outpatient clinic.
Nineteen months later, the fighter formerly known as Golden Child resumed his journey under a new nickname: the miracle man. Peter Quillin in the first round for the WBA middleweight title hailed the fairy tale, but Jacobs' controversial defeat against Golovkin less than a year later propelled his career to new heights, even after his defeat. However, a victory over Álvarez would be an invitation to fame that escaped him (even if his publicity for New York-Presbyterian, which has been a major rotation on local television, has increased his notoriety in the five districts).
Fluid boxer-puncher with a power hand, the Jacobs 5-foot 11½ is endowed with the intelligence of the ring to make the most of its edges of three and a half inches in height and reach. The fact that Jacobs is custom-made seems to have been custom-made for Canelo from a physical point of view is quite promising, but his reputation for always doing his best in his biggest fights makes him a living dog.
But for Álvarez, who is still only 28 years old, there is still a feeling among supporters and skeptics that we have not yet proven themselves. His unique and methodical blend of hand speed, punch variety and a smooth defense that goes from skillful footwork to upper-body upper movement, rattled to perfection during Golovkin's second fight.
Golovkin, the recent DAZN signatory who closely monitors the uncertain Steve Rolls on June 8th in a bitter fight to defeat the winner of Saturday in September: whether it's a revenge with Jacobs or a third payment with Canelo.
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