Junior Middleweight

Better late than never.

That has to be the thought process for Mayweather Promotions product Ishe "Sugar Shay" Smith (26-6, 12 KO) as he heads into his bout with WBA light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (19-2-2, 12 KO).

The two men were originally scheduled to fight in March 2014, but Lara backed out of the bout to free himself up to take on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. Lara lost a split decision to Canelo because he appeared to run out of gas in the second half of the bout.

Much like his controversial loss to Paul Williams in 2011, the Canelo verdict was a decision Lara clearly didn't agree with, per The Ring Magazine's Douglass Fischer:

Erislandy Lara says he’ll stay ‘undefeated’ versus Ishe Smith http://t.co/OGFJm3iwaT #boxing @laraboxing @ShoSports

— Douglass Fischer (@dougiefischer) December 10, 2014

The fight with Alvarez was a more lucrative and career-advancing opportunity. Because of that, Smith told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael he didn't blame Lara for his decision to pull out. Now he wants to hand the tough Cuban his second straight loss and capture the miniature version of a world title that Lara owns.

Will there be a new champ crowned on December 12th or will @LaraBoxing show the world why he is the champ? #LaraSmith pic.twitter.com/uYQiwmYEI2

— Mayweather Promotions (@MayweatherPromo) December 4, 2014

The bout will be preceded by preliminary fights featuring Mayweather Promotions fighters Badou Jack and Chris Pearson. Here's the viewing information.

@Laraboxing returns next Friday @MayweatherPromo pic.twitter.com/iU9008pZYT

— BoxingHypeStore.com (@BoxingHype) December 5, 2014

When: Friday, December 12, at 10:15 p.m. ET

Where: Illusions Theater in San Antonio, Texas

TV: Showtime

The Book on Lara

High-profile opponents seem to avoid the 31-year-old Lara at all costs. He isn't a big name, yet he's a southpaw who is very skilled and tough. That's a combination that normally causes fighters with a lot to lose to look in another direction.

Lara has befuddled the likes of Austin "No Doubt" Trout in his career.

On this day last year, @LaraBoxing outclassed @NoDoubtTrout in Brooklyn. Lara returns Friday on #Showtime. https://t.co/XDDj5uTXhl

— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) December 7, 2014

That's why Canelo deserves so much credit for taking Lara on. Stylistically, it looked like a tough fight. Lara's defensive prowess and excellent pure boxing skill might have given Canelo memories of his ill-fated attempt to knock off Floyd Mayweather Jr., but that wasn't to be.

Lara outboxed Canelo for most of the first half of the bout, but he could not maintain his movement and pace.

Ultimately, Canelo wore him down with pressure and body shots. His steady work earned him the nod from two of the three judges. In a losing effort, Lara still didn't do anything to make himself seem like an easy win for future opponents.

That's precisely why he's set up to take on a fighter like Smith in this bout. While Sugar Shay is a former world champion, no one would confuse him with a top draw. In this fight, Lara is the bigger name and clearly the one with the most to lose. 

If he can't beat Smith, it would put Lara on the first losing streak of his career and damage his credibility in the eyes of many in the boxing community.

The Book on Smith

At one point, Smith's career and life were on the ropes. With his career stagnant and his home life in a bit of disarray, Smith told Steve Kim of Max Boxing that he contemplated suicide.

Thankfully, those days are behind him. Linking up with Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s The Money Team has been especially fruitful for Smith. He has captured and lost a world title at 154 pounds in the last two years. 

Since joining The Money Team in 2012, Smith has seen his professional fortunes change. He beat Cornelius "K9" Bundrage for the IBF title in February 2013. The win capped off what had been a long and arduous journey for the now-36-year-old veteran from Las Vegas.

He became the first native of the fight capital of the United States to win a world title.

Smith lost the belt in a lackluster performance against Carlos "King" Molina in September 2013. He rebounded with a second-round KO win over Ryan Davis in his last bout to set up this bout with Lara.

Prediction

To be honest, this matchup doesn't scream excitement. Lara is a defensive specialist with excellent movement and instincts. Smith is a slower, stiff-legged counterpuncher without a ton of pop in his punches.

One of these men is going to have to press the action if fans are going to be kept awake. 

Whether either man steps out of character for the sake of entertainment, it's hard to see a scenario where Lara loses. He's quicker, more athletic and just as sound technically as Smith.

Lara has been in some exciting fights, such as his thrilling 10th-round TKO win over Alfredo Angulo. However, Angulo is a pressure fighter whose style contrasts Lara's. The dynamic made for an interesting mix.

This bout doesn't appear to have that same potential.

Nonetheless, Lara's overall package of talent will guide him to an unanimous-decision victory in a boring bout.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

It seems as if Anthony Mundine (46-6, 27 KO) has been fighting forever. On Wednesday night, he'll try to add another title to his resume as he takes on WBC silver light heavyweight champion Sergey Rabchenko (25-0, 18 KO) at Hisense Arena in Australia.

Mundine will be fighting in his home country, but that may not be enough to spur him to the win.

He is coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Joshua Clottey in his last fight. At 39 years old, it's clear Mundine's days as a serious contender are numbered. Some might suggest they have already come and gone. He was floored seven times in his defeat to Clottey. This seems like it could be a classic case of an aging fighter not knowing when to call it a career.

How he fares against a 28-year-old, undefeated champion like Rabchenko will tell us how much Mundine has left in the tank. 

Rabchenko last fought in Nov. 2013 when he easily defeated Bradley Pryce by unanimous decision. He could have an easy night ahead of him if Mundine can't improve upon the performance he delivered against Clottey.

However, Rabchenko has never faced an opponent as experienced and cunning as Mundine. There's also the matter of a year-long layoff to consider. This could turn out to be an interesting scrap. Here's the viewing information.

When: Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 3:30 a.m. ET

Where: Hisense Arena in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

TV: Main Event Pay-Per-View in Australia

Something Left to Prove

Despite the fact that he was beat soundly on Saturday night, Bernard Hopkins is still fighting—and so is Roy Jones Jr.

Mundine is younger than both of them, and he has referred to Hopkins in the past as an example of a fighter being successful past what most believe is his prime.

The thing is: Hopkins never looked quite as bad as Mundine did against Clottey—not even in Saturday night's one-sided defeat. Jones Jr. has been separated from consciousness on more than one occasion, but he isn't challenging fighters on Rabchenko's level these days.

Mundine is taking risks and reaching high because he still obviously yearns for more in-ring greatness, but perhaps he's also chasing the type of big payday that Hopkins and Jones Jr. have seen on several occasions.

From this tweet, it's easy to see Mundine has his sights set high:

I hereby tell the universe I will fight Rabchenko and I WILL WIN & Fight Floyd Mayweather next!!

— . (@Anthony_Mundine) November 10, 2014

It may be an impossible mission, but step one begins on Wednesday night.

Rabchenko's Ring Rust

Being out of the ring for a year is nothing to dismiss. That's especially the case considering Rabchenko is traveling to his opponent's hometown. Being vastly inexperienced as it compares to Mundine's wealth of time in the sport should also make Rabchenko's people a bit nervous.

However, that isn't the case. Former world champion Ricky Hatton—who is also Rabchenko's current promoter and trainer—expects the Belarusian to win. Hatton told Grantlee Kieza of The Courier-Mail:

Mundine is something of a celebrity in Australia, so there will be a huge crowd and an intimidating atmosphere, but I think Sergey will come through the fight with flying colours. This is easily [Rabchenko's] toughest fight so far. Mundine has been in with the best and he has said he can’t afford to lose this fight. I just think Sergey will have too much for him.

For what it's worth, Rabchenko says he's ready, and he certainly looks in proper shape heading into the bout. 

I'm ready to fight )) pic.twitter.com/65LDTBuTs8

— Sergey Rabchenko (@SergeyRabchenko) November 5, 2014

Looking the part won't get the win. On Wednesday, he'll need to stare down Mundine in his home country to retain his title.

Prediction

Against Clottey, Mundine showed the signs of a fighter who simply couldn't make his body do the things he wanted it to. He was consistently beaten to the punch, and his defensive instincts have dulled. The falloff caused him to take more shots than he normally would have.

That trend will continue on Wednesday, but Rabchenko will really make him pay. Mundine was able to survive and finish against Clottey, but he won't be as fortunate against Rabchenko. The Belarusian is hungry, fresh, powerful and motivated to use Mundine as a stepping stone.

Rabchenko has an opportunity to ascend up the 154-pound ranks and challenge a big name for a more prestigious title.

On Wednesday, he will take the first important step. Mundine's time competing on a high level is over. Rabchenko will win by TKO.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

The battle between IBF 154-pound champion Carlos Molina (22-5-2, 6 KO) and Cornelius "K9" Bundrage (33-5, 19 KO) has all the makings of a sloppy, aesthetically unappealing bout. That's blunt honesty, folks, but let's hope I'm wrong.

Molina won the title in an ugly bout against Ishe Smith in Sept. 2013, but he's been inactive due to legal problems since. Molina was arrested for failure to register as a sex offender in 2007. This was connected to a charge back in 2001.

The fight is taking place in Cancun, Mexico, primarily because Molina lives there and can't leave the country due to immigration issues stemming from the legal problems, per Ray Slover of Sporting News.

Per Slover, Molina recently said this:

I understand that a lot of people are going to judge me, and that's their opinion, and that's the way that it is. But the thing is, this is something that happened when I was 18 years old. I was immature. But I'm 31 right now, so that was 13 years ago. 

I ended up doing nine months for that, and I've learned from that. Now, I'm mature. I want to move forward and move on with my life from that point. Now, I have my own family, and I know what I'm doing. I never want to be in position to go to jail for any reason.

Molina returns to the ring looking to make a living and to defend his championship against Bundrage.

K9 is the man Smith beat to earn the title, so this matchup—though uninspiring—makes some sense. Bundrage is 41 years old, and he may be getting his last opportunity at a world title. He won a unanimous decision over Joey Hernandez in his last fight back in January, so he's hoping to win his second in a row and regain the title he lost.

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, Oct. 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET

Where: Oasis Hotel Complex, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico

TV: ESPN Deportes

Live Stream: BoxNation

Rafael: ESPN buys rights to Carlos Molina-@K9boxing fight http://t.co/9N3YBXetV0 @danrafaelespn

— ESPN Boxing (@ESPNBoxing) October 7, 2014

The Book on Molina

The champion has a tough road ahead of him. Though he's a very skilled boxer, Molina needs to prove he is worthy of a larger viewing audience. That'll be tough considering he can't punch. Molina's six KOs is proof he doesn't bring the most crowd-pleasing style into the ring.

Add into the mix his problems with the law that are sure to be frowned upon by the masses and his subsequent restrictions in fighting location, and Molina might be the world champion in the most unfortunate situation.

The only thing he can do is win, for whatever that will be worth. Can he handle K9?

The Book on Bundrage

Opportunities probably aren't plentiful for Bundrage in the way of title bouts these days. His loss to Smith was not a good one, and his recent wins haven't made him look like the second coming of Thomas Hearns.

From a pure skill standpoint, Bundrage is unrefined to say the least. He does, however, possess an enormous heart and good power. 

Skilled boxers like Molina will always give him problems, but if he can turn the bout into a slugfest, he'll have a puncher's chance. The fact that Bundrage is traveling to Cancun to fight a champion like Molina tells you a bit about his current place in the sport. 

If he wins, the IBF would probably be thrilled, as it would have a champion capable of defending the title in the states. If he loses, Molina will continue to hold the belt, making it one of the most disconnected titles in the sport today.

Prediction

It would be a nice story if Bundrage went into Mexico and won the title, but I can't see it happening. Molina's skills are far beyond Bundrage's, and the champion has made a living outsmarting opponents who were physically stronger and more heralded.

Scoring Molina's fights is often a chore because there's not usually a ton of action, but he finds a way to win rounds. On Saturday, he'll win more than Bundrage and retain his title.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter. I dig boxing and MMA.

The stylistic clash of the year took place Saturday night at the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena.

At a contracted weight of 155 pounds—with no meaningless belts on the line—only unadulterated boxing was to be had for once. It was just the top two light middleweights in the world trading punches with the helm of the division at stake. It was close. When the two best boxers a weight class has to offer square off, it usually is. 

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (44-1-1) took home a split-decision victory over one of the sport's leading technicians in Erislandy Lara (19-2-2), and the boxing world is torn about the verdict:

Lara did what he does best.

He implemented the counterpunching, fleet-footed attack that makes him—even after defeat—the most complex boxer at 154 pounds. His jab was lethal, and he followed it up with a beauty of a straight left that skewered his opponent like an arrow.

Lara has mastered the more subtle side of the sweet science. He floated across the ring. He tagged his opponent repeatedly, landing 107 of the 386 punches he threw for a connection rate of 28 percent, 5 percent better than his Mexican counterpart (97 out of 415).

Outworked early, Canelo Alvarez eventually caught up to his foe. Alvarez's looping hooks to his opponent's midsection thudded more loudly as the fight went on. He didn't falter down the stretch as most expected him to.

Aggression was the name of the young superstar's game.

Alvarez traced Lara's footsteps, breathing down his neck as often as he could and emptying out his wide array of combination punches when in position. His jab was almost nonexistent, but he connected on 38 percent of his power punches, landing 88 of 232, 36 more than Lara (52-140) and at a higher percentage. In addition, 73 of these punches were to the body. That was the story of the fight: Canelo's ruthless body assault vs. Lara's rangy punching and elusiveness.

The first three rounds seemed to be all Lara. Rounds 7-9 were Canelo's. All of the other rounds were complete toss-ups. Each man enforced his own game plan at his own pace.

Two of three judges sided with Alvarez's pressure and heavier punches, one of whom was Levi Martinez, who turned in a suspicious 117-111 scorecard for Canelo, awarding the slippery Lara just three rounds.

But it was Martinez who was the odd man out in favoring Vasyl Lomachenko's tactical work in "Hi-Tech's" split-decision loss to the rough Orlando Salido this past March.

Alvarez's decision victory was not a byproduct of corruption but an illustration of the wonderful duality of the sport.

Four months ago, Martinez preferred Lomachenko's calculated punching to Salido's aggressive tactics. Lara's technicality wasn't enough overall for Martinez this weekend. It's subjectivity like this that makes boxing so fascinating. 

Any other night, a few extra rounds could have gone Lara's way, and the entire state of the division would be altered. The Cuban stylist would have picked up the biggest win of his career and possibly propelled himself into the popularity a pugilist of his talent deserves.

Of course, things didn't turn out that way. But pay-per-view-headlining fights should have these sort of high stakes.

That's what happens when fighters want to fight. Saul Alvarez, for one, didn't need to take this fight. One could say he shouldn't have. His own promoter Oscar De La Hoya loathed its very idea.

But there he was, the red-headed fistic sensation chasing down glory one rigorous test at a time. He's only 23, and his run of competition over his last four fights is in a class of its own, including bouts with cutthroat brawlers (Alfredo Angulo), indecipherable southpaws (Austin Trout and Lara) and, of course, the sport's top dog in Floyd "Money" Mayweather. 

This weekend, he was given a slight nod over a man just as deserving of a win as he was. It was a close fight. It was a good fight, a contrast in styles so fantastic that controversy was imminent from the moment the two took those four steps leading into the ring. 

The pinnacle of the sport promises to produce this level of drama. That's the nature of the beast. 

That's boxing. 

Given the circumstances of his fight with Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night—for perceived supremacy among the world’s junior middleweights and atop a pay-per-view card at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, not to mention the razor-thin closeness of its result—Erislandy Lara certainly deserves a rematch.

His loss came via split decision, after all, and more than a few unofficial eyes saw it the other way.

Showtime’s Steve Farhood, Yahoo’s Kevin Iole and ESPN.com’s Brian Campbell each had it 115-113 for the Cuban, which mirrors my own card, on which Lara earned Rounds 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 10 and 11.

It was no crime to suggest the contrary. But in keeping with tradition that typically provides second go-rounds when significant matches yield disputed results, it’s one we surely ought to see repeated.

Still, if you stubbornly switched off your TV determined to hold your breath until Team Canelo said “OK, Erislandy, let’s do it again in six months,” here’s a tip that’ll save your kin some messy paperwork.

Don’t.

Because in today’s boxing reality, you’re more likely to see a Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. trilogy promoted by “Money’s” arch nemesis, Bob Arum, than you are to see Canelo-Lara II.

For a couple of reasons.

Primarily, because the aforementioned Team Alvarez simply doesn’t need it.

Lest we forget, the soon-to-be 24-year-old Mexican redhead already proved his PPV chops while riding shotgun to Mayweather on the highest-grossing show of all time last September, so it’s not as if that status was going to change simply because he had a hard time catching up to a tricky foe Saturday night.

He was the A-side heading into the MGM Grand. And, short of a complete blowout in which he was revealed as merely a well-connected impostor, he was going to leave with the same star status intact.

As it turned out, once the hare/turtle narrative was set in the first couple of rounds—when Lara, almost literally, raced around the ring while his slower-footed foe pursued—it was clear that any entertainment value to be derived over the full 12 would come thanks to the efforts of the chaser, not the chased.

And with that reality, Canelo was instantly free to either fail or succeed.

The feared blowout wasn’t going to happen thanks to the absence of engagement, and he was distinguishing himself enough in pursuit that even a tight loss would be spin-able as Alvarez said after the bout, “I came to fight. I didn’t come to run. If he wanted a marathon, let him run a marathon. You don’t win a fight by running.”

Purists might embrace Lara’s skill, but the ones who plunk down $50 usually want to see a little more.

Ironically, when the would-be tight loss turned into a tight win—thanks to a favorable scorecard from judge Levi Martinez—a stewing Lara might as well have dropped through a trap door as Alvarez hit the same “I came to fight” themes while happily trumpeting the sudden victory to Showtime’s Jim Gray and fielding questions about middleweight king Miguel Cotto.

But let’s face it, even if Lara had gotten the split instead of Alvarez, he still didn’t help himself much.

While people might tolerate Mayweather’s defense-sopped approach because of the blockbuster atmosphere that his twice-yearly events provide, a guy who eschews the shoulder roll in favor of all-out evasion is going to have a lot harder time convincing the masses to click “Buy” on their remotes.

Though his approach was hardly less violent than Chris Algieri’s against junior welterweight terminator Ruslan Provodnikov a few weeks back, people gave Algieri full props because he got off the deck twice and fenced through the final 11 rounds with an eye that had swollen to tennis ball dimensions.

And let’s not forget, that fight was on “regular” premium cable, not pay-per-view.

When it comes to the upper echelon, the most successful players in the game are often the ones who can either provide jaw-numbing levels of concussion or inspire a tangible rooting venom.

The Cuban, at least for 36 minutes on Saturday, delivered neither.

Just as it was clear early on that Alvarez’s street cred wouldn’t be hurt against a non-combative foe, it was equally evident that even a wide win in that style would do Lara no more good than harm.

I tweeted after three rounds Saturday that a 10-2 win with that style would prompt no one to demand a Mayweather fight, and once the sure W was yanked off the table, so was any real reason for Lara to follow-through on a promise to crash “Money’s” post-fight press conference this September.

He may not have liked being the guy no one wanted to fight.

But he’ll find it hurts far worse to be the one nobody wants to watch.

Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara take boxing's center stage on Saturday, July 12.

As fight cards go, the lineup scheduled at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas is good but not great. The main event is absolutely one of the must-see fights of the year, but the rest of the card looks so-so on paper.

That said, there's still the chance that one or more fights on the undercard are entertaining affairs.

Here's a look at the vitals for the Showtime pay-per-view event as well as predictions for the card.

Date	Time	TV
Fighters	Weight Class	Prediction
Saturday, July 12	9 p.m. ET	Showtime PPV
Johan Perez vs. Mauricio Herrera	Light Welterweight	Herrera by decision
Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Francisco Vargas	Super Featherweight	Vargas by TKO
Abner Mares vs. Jonathan Oquendo	Featherweight	Mares by TKO
Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara	Light Middleweight	Alvarez by TKO

Why Herrera Beats Perez

Coming off a controversial loss to Danny Garcia, Mauricio Herrera has a chance to validate his strong performance in his last outing by beating Johan Perez.

He'll take advantage of the opportunity. Herrera talked to Showtime's Steve Farhood about the upcoming bout with Perez:

Despite a 3.5-inch height disadvantage for Perez, Herrera's boxing skills and hand speed will give Perez a problem. Perez is tall, but he has short arms and has various holes in his defense. Despite his 5'11" height, he prefers to fight inside, which negates his length advantage.

Herrera is the tougher and more skilled boxer, and he'll pull off a unanimous-decision victory.

Why Vargas Beats Lopez

Juan Manuel Lopez was once at or near the top of the heap when it came to featherweights. However, two crushing and exposing losses to Orlando Salido derailed him. Another stoppage loss at the hands of Mikey Garcia had JuanMa looking like a fighter who should be considering retirement.

He did rebound with an exciting second-round TKO win over tough veteran and perennial contender Daniel Ponce de Leon in March. That win set up the opportunity to take on the up-and-coming Francisco Vargas.

JuanMa is going to run into another young, talented Mexican fighter he simply can't solve.

Garcia is one of the top 10 fighters in the world, and Vargas has the tools to climb in a similar matter. He has good punching power in both hands, and JuanMa's chin has become suspect. 

The 31-year-old has all the heart in the world. He had to get off the canvas to stop Ponce de Leon, but he still hasn't fixed the holes in his defense.

Because of that, Vargas stops him in the sixth round.

Why Mares Beats Oquendo

Hiring Virgil Hunter as trainer was perhaps the smartest thing Abner Mares could have done in his career. After being stopped by Jhonny Gonzalez in August 2013, the 28-year-old, three-time world champion needed to make some changes.

Hunter is the trainer for Andre Ward, Amir Khan and others. He's great at improving his fighters' defense and mental approach in the ring.

As Mares has gotten older and ascended up to the featherweight division, the 5'4.5" Mexican warrior is finding he can't out-muscle and brawl with top fighters in the weight class. He needs to employ a few more pure boxing skills.

Taking on a smaller opponent like Jonathan Oquendo in his first fight under Hunter is a good look. It takes a while for a fighter to fully convert to a new style, and it's better that Mares be in the ring with a smaller fighter first.

Oquendo has some power and pretty good hand speed, but his defense is suspect at times, and he's looked a bit chinny as well. Mares will be looking to catch and shoot against the 30-year-old Puerto Rican. Those counterpunching skills and increased movement will lead to a stoppage win for Mares.

Why Canelo Beats Lara

This is in no way an easy prediction to make.

Lara is the superior boxer, but there is legitimate doubt as to whether he can win a decision. Alvarez is Golden Boy's golden fighter, and Austin Trout—a former opponent of both men—thinks Lara is fighting an uphill battle against the judges.

He told Jason Groves of the Las Cruces Sun-News: "I feel that Lara will out box him, but Canelo will take it. I don't see Lara getting a decision unless he puts (Alvarez) down and I don't think he can do that."

Because of this dynamic and Lara's perception as a boring fighter, he will push to make the fight more exciting and possibly attempt to stop Alvarez.

That approach is playing into Alvarez's hands. The 23-year-old from Tlajomulco de Zuniga, Jalisco, Mexico, is the naturally stronger man and bigger puncher. If Lara stays in the pocket too long, Canelo will make him pay.

Considering Lara couldn't escape a slow, plodding Alfredo Angulo without being dropped twice in June 2013, it seems unlikely he'll be able to evade the punishment from Canelo.

Thus, Alvarez will win by ninth-round TKO.

Follow me on Twitter.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Canelo Alvarez is the favorite to defeat Erislandy Lara in the main event of a pay-per-view card being billed as "Honor and Glory." The two will meet on Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

As of Friday, Alvarez's odds to win were listed as -175 by Odds Shark. 

Most acknowledge that Lara is a more skilled boxer, but his struggles against the plodding and slow Alfredo Angulo could be diminishing the confidence oddsmakers have in him on Saturday.

Though Lara stopped Angulo in the 10th round due to a grotesque eye injury, the Cuban was floored twice in the fight. Alvarez is quicker and arguably just as hard of a puncher as Angulo.

One has to wonder whether Lara will be able to withstand Alvarez's assault. Canelo stopped Angulo in a much more lopsided affair in March.

The Ring magazine polled a group of 28 boxing enthusiasts made up of writers, trainers and super fans, and 23 of the 28 predicted Alvarez would win. 

One of the writers polled was Matt Richardson of Fight News. Richardson said: 

I like Canelo Alvarez in this one. It won’t be easy, and he’ll probably get outboxed and out-worked in stretches of the fight.

But sooner or later, he will start connecting, and once that happens, he will hurt Erislandy Lara.

If Alfredo Angulo can hurt Lara, I think Alvarez can, too. I think Alvarez will pull out a close-but-deserved decision, probably as a result of a knockdown or two.

Most predict Lara will go the distance, but four see Alvarez winning by stoppage. This is also what I predicted in my preview.

All of the stoppage predictions suggest the definitive moment will occur late in the fight. Keith Idec of The Record and Boxing Scene says:

Eventually, though, a persistent Alvarez’s strength will become the foremost factor in a fight against an opponent whose chin hasn’t always been reliable. Lara is more than willing to trade, and that’ll cost him in this fight.

Idec predicts a 10th-round stoppage win for Alvarez.

Of the five who believe Lara will win on Saturday night, not one believes he will score a stoppage victory. Lara's best chance to win is to use his speed, elusiveness and slick boxing style to befuddle Alvarez, much like Floyd Mayweather did.

Kenny Porter, the father and trainer of IBF welterweight champion Shawn Porter likes Lara over Alvarez, citing the Cuban's extensive amateur background as a factor:

I know that Erislandy Lara has the more extensive background. As an amateur, he has a much better foundation coming through the Cuban program, and he’s fought much better professional fighters than Canelo Alvarez.

I really think that the relative foundation that the two guys have by comparison is like night and day. I don’t think that Canelo has the foundation that Lara has or that type of grooming. We saw what happened to canelo when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr., he looked like a sparring partner.

Even Lara pointed to his exploits as an amateur during the final press conference before Saturday's bout. Per Dan Rafael of ESPN.com, Lara said: "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."

Amateur backgrounds are certainly helpful, just look at what the experience has done for fellow Cuban Guillermo Rigondeaux and Vasyl Lomachenko. Both men have amazing records as amateurs and are currently world champions.

That said, Alvarez is a special talent, and in this situation, the amateur pedigree may not be the prevailing factor.

All will be settled on Saturday when the talk is over and the punches begin to fly.

Follow me on Twitter:

@BMaziqueFPBR

No one can accuse Canelo Alvarez (43-1-1, 31 KO) of taking on weak opponents these days. The 23-year-old Mexican superstar is set to face tough Cuban contender Erislandy Lara (19-1-2, 12 KO) on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and it figures to be a significant test.

Lara is noted for his masterful boxing, and Alvarez is one of the sport's best boxer-punchers. This fight could stylistically be the closest thing to facing Floyd "Money" Mayweather in a rematch for Canelo.

How Alvarez performs in this fight could be seen as some indication of how well he'd do with a second crack at Money. Because of the compelling if/then scenarios and the clashing of two top-notch pugilists, this is one of the must-see fights of the year.

Here's how you can watch.

When: Saturday, July 12, at 9 p.m. ET

Where: MGM Grand in Las Vegas

TV: Showtime pay-per-view

Live Stream: BoxNation (subscription required and region restricted)

The Book on Alvarez

Still shy of his 24th birthday, Alvarez's best days are likely ahead of him. That's really a scary thought for those in his weight range. Alvarez has already accumulated invaluable experience in his 45 professional fights and performed under the limelight that only a bout with Mayweather can provide.

If you wonder why he's seemingly down for whatever when it comes to opponents, the experience and success have created a confident and capable monster. Alvarez is ready to take on all comers. It may sound cliche, but he clearly believes that his time is now.

Upon arriving in Las Vegas for the bout, Alvarez talked about the challenge and the glory of defeating a great fighter like Lara. Per Golden Boy Boxing, Alvarez said:

This fight will give me personal satisfaction. It's about fighting the best and beating the best. The media and the fans know that this is a dangerous fight and them knowing that will make my win that much better.  It's a personal satisfaction to be fighting the best and beating the best.

Is Canelo biting off more than he can chew with Lara? We'll soon find out.

The Book on Lara

Trash talk makes fights these days, so no one can blame Lara for the way he grabbed Alvarez's attention for this bout.

Lara has been working Canelo for this opportunity since as far back as 2012. In the video below, Lara tells Elie Seckbach of ESNews Reporting that he'd KO Canelo in six rounds.

After beating Austin Trout—a fighter Alvarez struggled with—Lara says, via translator Luis DeCubas Jr., he believes Canelo will be too scared to fight him.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YosDATwK1C8

Then, during a pre-fight presser for Alvarez's bout with Alfredo Angulo—a fighter Lara defeated in a brutal clash in June 2013—Lara called out Alvarez in person.

Essentially, Lara forced Alvarez's hand. The 31-year-old Cuban has just one official loss on his record, but most would discount the lone defeat to Paul Williams in July 2011. It is by many accounts one of the worst decisions in recent boxing history.

Because of this, Lara has the aura of an undefeated fighter. His hand speed, power and defensive acumen could give Canelo issues.

What will he do with the biggest opportunity of his career?

Who Wins?

Here's a legitimate question: Can Lara notch a decision win over Alvarez without a knockdown or doing definitive damage? 

Trout doesn't think so. He told Jason Groves of the Las Cruces Sun-News: "I feel that Lara will out box him, but Canelo will take it. I don't see Lara getting a decision unless he puts (Alvarez) down and I don't think he can do that."

Unfortunately, Trout is probably spot-on with his analysis. Because of Alvarez's popularity and backing from Golden Boy, he could be in the catbird seat when it comes to a decision.

Because of this, Lara may press for a knockout. That strategy doesn't suit him best in this fight. While Lara does have decent power, he can't punch like Alvarez.

Staying in punching range just a second longer to land big shots will also leave Lara open to receive damage. Each fight is different, but seeing Lara down twice against Alfredo Angulo—a fighter Alvarez dismantled—is a clue of what happens when Lara gets too enamored with trading.

All of this could change if Lara chooses to fight a more elusive style. Yet somehow, that doesn't seem like the more likely approach. Expect Lara to box early but to try to make good on his prediction to stop Canelo after the first three rounds.

That will lead him into trouble. Alvarez will win after his body shots and cumulative punishment slows Lara. He'll take big shots from the slow-starting Alvarez and get stopped late.

Prediction: Alvarez by Ninth-Round TKO

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