With a foreshadowing Gennady "GGG" Golovkin and Abel Sanchez at the Lost Wages, Nevada ring-side, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-1, 34KO) and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. (50-3-1-1, 32KO) begun the "Fight for Mexico" Cinco de Mayo extravaganza in a feeling out opening stanza which saw a bent over, wide-legged, and short armed punching Chavez. Canelo, the shorter man, seemed to fight taller and longer, the more the distance twixt thems. The second round continued that feeling out process begun in the first, but with a lengthening and heightening Chavez and a crisper more ill-intended Canelo; a settled in and threatening to coast Canelo. As I predicted*, a slow start -- bad for Chavez, who maybe would have had a better tact in jumping on Canelo early.... or at least not allowing hisself a jab-centric loss.
Chavez started and ended the fourth looking a tick weary, and two ticks easy to hit. Then came the fifth, as night follows day, and Chavez continued to circle Canelo at a distance perfect for Canelo and thusly becomes reminiscent of a punching bag with catcher's mitt sewn onto its front. Canelo seemed to be able to walk in whenever, but stayed outside. Jab, jab, jab. About as "Mexican" an experience as a blonde girl ordering a Mexican Latte at Starbucks. Weight-drained just the same, too. Since his limb lengthening second stanza, Jr. has thrown a mere gloveful of punches... less, in fact, than the tally of those landed by Alvarez. Sixth ends with a loosey-goosey and flinchy looking Chavez.
Lettuce be plain here, gentlepersons: I knew it'd be one-sided and predicted it as such*, but too, I thought not so obviously so. In round seven Chavez flurried in peppering fashion to an on the ropes Canelo, whom makes him pay immediately. Sharp. Very sharp. Sharp as a Matzoh, this Canelo. Chavez is simply twice as crummy. Same in the eighth. I begin to feel as though the fight is tumbling into a dark eternity.
Ninth sees more lack a' zetz from Chavez. Canelo works from angles and heights and crisply. Seems to toy with Chavez by placing himself on the ropes for Jr. to pepper him against -- only to jump back on his man in a retaliatory aggression, which I begin to notice shows much refrain; restrain even. Tenth starts with Chavez's left eye continuing to swell from the previous stanza. Eleventh, it strikes me: why ain't Canelo stopped him? He ain't even knocked him down... or shook him, really. How odd. Final stanza: yes, it sure was. The judges saw it 120-108 for Saoool Alvarez; as doth did I.
As soon as the bout ended, GGG made is way to the ring, in which was announced a September 16th date for he and Canelo's long-anticipated showdown.
"Good luck in September." Offered GGG.
"Luck is for mediocre people." Replied Canelo.
Chavez could not be reached for comment, for I didn't try.
*You can see read my prediction HERE. Though I ain't sure why ya's wanna now.
