Local fight folks lean toward Canelo in Saturday's fight
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Sorry, Bud.
Among 10 members of the New Mexico boxing community approached by the Journal, eight predicted that Saul 鈥淐anelo鈥� Alvarez will defeat Terence 鈥淏ud鈥� Crawford when two of the world鈥檚 greatest fighters clash on Saturday in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Favoring Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 knockouts): Hobbs promoter/matchmaker Isidro Castillo; Las Cruces boxer Samantha Ginithan; sa国际传媒官网网页入口 boxer Matt Griego-Ortega; sa国际传媒官网网页入口 former boxer Stephanie Jaramillo; sa国际传媒官网网页入口 trainer Yoruba Moreu and his son, boxer Yoruba Moreu Jr.; sa国际传媒官网网页入口 boxer Jason Sanchez, and his brother and fellow boxer Jose Luis 鈥淕uero鈥� Sanchez.
Picking Crawford (41-0, 31 knockouts): sa国际传媒官网网页入口 trainers Steve Garcia and Anthony Rosales.
For those picking Alvarez, the size difference between the two men was paramount. Though both men are expected to weigh in on Friday at or just below the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds, Crawford will be fighting at that weight for the first time.
Crawford has contested most of his fights at lightweight (135 pounds), junior welterweight (140) and welterweight (147). In his most recent bout, fighting for the first time at the 154-pound super welterweight limit, he won, but had one of his least impressive showings in defeating Israil Madrimov by unanimous decision.
Alvarez began his professional career at 140 pounds as a teenager but gradually ascended to 147, 154, 160, 168 and even the light heavyweight limit of 175. Of his most recent 12 fights, 11 have been contested at super middleweight.
鈥淚鈥檓 going for Canelo,鈥� Jason Sanchez said via social media. 鈥淚 think Crawford is good, but he鈥檚 jumping up a few weight classes and that鈥檚 the advantage Canelo鈥檚 gonna have in the later rounds.鈥�
Sanchez鈥檚 brother, 鈥淕uero,鈥� put it more succinctly in picking 脕lvarez by KO: 鈥淐rawford is a little guy.鈥�
Griego-Ortega said he鈥檇 like to see Crawford win, but, 鈥淚 think the power behind the weight is going to be something Crawford isn鈥檛 used to. I think maybe, split decision Canelo.鈥�
For Jaramillo, her prediction is less about the size differential than about who Alvarez is as a fighter.
鈥淚 feel he鈥檚 going to dominate the fight,鈥� Jaramillo wrote. 鈥淐anelo is like Roy Jones Jr. Everybody used to say he was fighting nobodies, old people, not in their prime.
鈥淚t鈥檚 because he鈥檚 so good, he would make them look like nobodies, and that鈥檚 what Canelo does. Canelo with a unanimous decision.鈥�
No one among the responders, though, sees this as an easy victory for Alvarez.
鈥淭ough choice,鈥� Ginithan wrote. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a 50-50 fight, in my opinion, but I鈥檓 taking Canelo by decision. He has more experience in a bigger weight class.鈥�
Castillo predicted an Alvarez victory by 11th-round TKO, but 鈥渋n an absolute war.鈥�
Of the dissenters, Rosales responded, simply, 鈥淚鈥檓 picking Crawford.鈥�
Garcia said he believed the refuse-to-lose mentality that has produced Crawford鈥檚 unblemished record will serve him well on Saturday.
鈥淐rawford,鈥� Garcia wrote. 鈥淗e has the heart and the will to do what it take to win.
鈥淗e has the lion mentality. Not afraid.鈥�
As of Thursday, oddsmakers see Alvarez as a solid but not overwhelming favorite.
FURY FC 109: Russian lightweight MMA fighter Nikolay Kiosse (10-3-1) scored a major victory Sunday in Houston, defeating previously unbeaten Abdulaziz Datsilaev (5-1) by second-round KO on a Fury Fighting Championship card.
Kiosse trains in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 at Jackson-Wink.
Three other Jackson-Wink fighters didn鈥檛 fare as well.
Bantamweight Saul Elizondo (6-9) lost by first-round TKO to Antonio Figueiredo (5-0) of Houston.
Heavyweight Dwight Maters (3-2) lost by unanimous decision to Houston鈥檚 Terrance Chatman (3-0).
Strawweight Lydia Warren (3-2) lost by first-round submission (rear naked choke) to Anna Melisano of Birmingham, Alabama.
