Canelo Alvarez and Liam Smith will address the media today ahead of their WBO junior middleweight title fight, which takes place this Saturday on HBO Pay-Per-View. You can watch a live stream of the Canelo-Smith presser right here (3:00 p.m. ET/12:00 p.m. PT).
Canelo Alvarez is set to headline a major card as the A-side on Mexican Independence Day weekend for the first time, which will formally cement his status as boxing’s marquee draw on its two most symbolic weekends (Cinco de Mayo being the other).
Although this should be a coronation of sorts for Canelo (47-1-1, 33 KOs) , the specter of Gennady Golovkin looms large over his fight against Liam Smith. After defeating Amir Khan via crushing sixth-round knockout, Canelo talked a good game about facing Golovkin, but he ultimately retreated to 154 pounds where he’ll look to claim another world title belt.
Because of the Canelo-Golovkin fiasco, Liam Smith has been unfortunately overlooked in the build-up to this fight. Smith was an accomplished amateur, and he is clearly growing into his power as a pro with eight consecutive stoppages serving as authoritative evidence. Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) is a rugged fighter who throws well to the body, and he’s someone who can theoretically match Canelo’s size and strength.
Make no mistake, this isn’t an easy fight for Canelo Alvarez. Sure, the Mexican idol is a deserved favorite, but he’s also benefited from significant size advantages over his last two foes (the aforementioned Khan and Miguel Cotto). While it is possible that Liam Smith’s thin resume could lead to him getting exposed, the “eye test” suggests that won’t be the case.
Both have been generally respectful of each other during the fight’s promotion, so don’t expect any fireworks at today’s presser. Still, it will be interesting to see whether the Golovkin gets brought up, and Smith has accused Canelo of avoiding GGG in the build-up’s only real “thrash talk.” So, what are you expecting from Canelo-Smith? Let us know in the comments.
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