As they prepare for their fights as part of the Sept. 17 "Star Power" boxing event, headlined by the fight between Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Victor Ortiz, Canelo Alvarez and Erik Morales will be sharing some thoughts on their careers every week.
Alvarez will be defending his WBC light middleweight title against Alfonso Gomez in Los Angeles while Erik Morales takes on Lucas Matthysse for the vacant WBC super lightweight title in Las Vegas on the Sept. 17 event on HBO Pay-Per-View (9 p.m. ET).
In our second installment, Morales and Alvarez discuss their fanbases on either side of the US-Mexico border.
How do your fans compare in Mexico to the US? When did you realize you had crossed over as an American star?
Alvarez: All fans are good to me and support me the most. There is nothing to compare since all are equal in support!
When I fight in Mexico many people come out to support me in everything I do, especially in the gym. The night of the fight is not different because I have always fought in filled arenas and this is due to the support of my people. In the U.S., I've seen that the fans are starting to recognize my work in the ring and that fills me with pride and satisfaction.
(I realized I was getting bigger in America) when people started asking me to sign autographs at the same amount or more than in Mexico, which motivates me more. Curiously, in every place I stop at any shop, arena or even on the plane when I'm traveling, I did notice the fans recognized me and am very pleased that things have got where they are. I know there is a long way to go, but we are ready to get stronger!
Morales: The American fans cannot compare to the Mexican fans. I'm not saying they are not loyal or don’t know the sport, but I think the ones from Mexico are more passionate and tucked in all sports in general. I acknowledge that the Hispanic fans are equal to the Mexicans.
I started to notice I had a good number of people following me after my matches made in the USA, especially those that allowed me to show my abilities, and I can mention those I had against Marco Antonio Barrera, Daniel Zaragoza and so on. I did notice that the boxing fans in the United States were with me like crazy, especially during my matches with Barrera.
