Hogan Photos/Golden Boy Promotions
Well, there is life after Floyd Mayweather–Manny Pacquiao, and Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is just what we need to lift our spirits. In one corner we have Alvarez, affectionately known as Canelo, or @CaneloPower on the ‘Gram. Despite one loss to Mayweather that blemishes his record, I still consider Alvarez a rising star in boxing. Besides being a crowd favorite, Alvarez brings sharp skills and excitement to the ring whenever he fights.
In the other corner is James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland, a relentless knockout artist who won’t take no for an answer—he wants to see you go down, ASAP. Kirkland has had his share of struggles outside the ring but inside the ring, he too only has one blemish on his record with the rest being victories, mostly by knockout.
We’ve seen Canelo’s boxing finesse be tested by fighters like Mayweather and Erislandy Lara. And while Canelo has shown he is not quite a boxing purist, he can certainly box a hell of a lot better than the brawlers he’s come across. Yet, Kirkland may go down in the books as one of Canelo’s toughest competitors, simply because his power and aggression is a sight to be seen.
Don’t expect a full on war, though there will be plenty of action for you fight fanatics. Canelo isn’t reckless like Kirkland, and he likes to mix his boxing and brawling talents in the ring. You can, however, expect Kirkland to take the fight to Canelo wholeheartedly, to seek and destroy. Kirkland’s determination might be enough to put Alvarez in his place. We should not forget that Canelo has nearly three times as much experience as his opponent, which might be enough to smartly control the beast that is Kirkland.
