Boxing News 2014: Canelo Alvarez Expects Tough Fight, But Confident He’ll Beat Erislandy Lara
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (43-1-1, 31 KOs) and Erislandy Lara (19-1-2, 12 KOs) have traded verbal jabs over the past several weeks, and on Saturday, the two fighters will let their fists do the talking when they collide at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Alvarez, who is considered a heavy favorite heading into Saturday's match, admitted that he is not expecting an easy fight against the 31-year-old Cuban Lara.
Alvarez said that while Lara is not one of the most recognizable names in the light middleweight division, the Guantanamo, Cuba, native is the one of the most dangerous opponents that he has ever faced in his career.
"This fight is important because Lara and I are the best two fighters in our weight class. He might not have the most recognizable name, but in the boxing world, everybody knows he is the most dangerous opponent. This will be a very important victory, " Alvarez said via BoxingScene.
But while he is not expecting a walk in the park, Alvarez, who is coming off a tenth-round knockout win against Alfredo Angulo in March, is still confident about his chances against Lara.
Alvarez said that his team has prepared the perfect fight plan to neutralize Lara. The former light middleweight world champion said that he is planning to utilize his speed and combinations to break down Lara's defense.
"How will I beat him? With speed, movement and combinations," Alvarez said. "He's a fighter that moves very well. He has a very tight defense, but the thing that he doesn't move well is his feet, his legs. We know his style; he has a very difficult style."
On the other hand, Lara, who scored a unanimous decision win against Austin Trout in December last year, insisted that he is not thinking of the tall odds against him, expressing confidence that the style he learned since his amateur career began will be enough to score a big win against Canelo.
"The Cuban style is the best style in boxing. Everybody knows that we win the most medals at the Olympics, at international tournaments. And that's shown throughout our history," Lara said. "We're going to wait for him. We're going to see what he can show. I just keep working hard."
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