On Saturday, November 2, 2019 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) will be jumping up two weight classes to the 175-pound Light Heavyweight division to take on WBO champion Sergey Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs).
Many thought we were going to see the trilogy with Gennadiy Golovkin this year, but Alvarez seems to have become indifferent with that matchup.
Canelo expressed earlier this year that he was attracted to the idea of a bout with Kovalev and Golden Boy Promotions was finally able to seal the deal.
This is an intriguing matchup especially with the unknown of how Canelo, the world’s No. 1 Middleweight, will adapt to jumping up not one weight class, but two. Kovalev is getting older and definitely not the fighter that he was four or five years ago, but Kovalev is naturally bigger than Canelo which may translate to more power and better durability for the 36-year-old Russian.
Kovalev is a genuine Light Heavyweight and still a competitive fighter and titleholder in his division, whereas Canelo is a true Middleweight taking only two fights above the 160-pound weight class. Alvarez did win both of his fights above the 160-pound limit, but Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Rocky Fielding are not even close to being on the same level as Sergey Kovalev.
Kovalev is also four inches taller than Alvarez and has a couple of inches of reach advantage as well.
Though Kovalev’s power is undeniable, Canelo has proven that he can take a shot. Canelo withstood Golovkin’s power in two fights and handled himself well against Daniel Jacobs’ power shots.
Yet, we can still argue the fact that Canelo has never fought someone with such a big size advantage, which is why it is quite surprising that boxing and MMA betting websites have the Mexican superstar listed as the solid favorite.
Alvarez is known for viciously attacking the bodies of his opponents, which could be a lethal weapon for him as many have questioned Kovalev’s ability to absorb body shots—even though Kovalev strongly disagrees with these claims especially in regards to the “low blow” against Andre Ward. Going into Saturday night’s fight, Canelo is the more technical fighter and will have a huge advantage in speed.
It will be interesting to see if Canelo’s technical boxing skills and quick hands can trump Kovalev’s forward pressure and power. Kovalev will need to find a way to mitigate Canelo’s movement to ensure he is able to effectively connect and do damage.
Canelo’s speed and footwork often allow him to avoid punishment and counter with various combinations to earn points on the judges’ scorecards. With the drastically different styles of these two fighters and the unfamiliar weight class for Alvarez, this is a fight that you don’t want to miss.
The main card of Alvarez vs. Kovalev is exclusively on DAZN and will begin at 9:00 pm, ET with the undercard stream beginning at 6:30 pm, ET.
