Junior Middleweight

Who will take over the sport of boxing as the No. 1 draw once Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. has retired? There are tons of contenders, and WBO light middleweight champion Demetrius "Boo Boo" Andrade (20-0, 13 KO) is one of them.

On Saturday, Andrade will get his first opportunity to defend his title and to show what makes him special enough to be considered a potential heir to Mayweather's throne.

Andrade will face tough and experienced Brian "The Lion" Rose (25-1-1, 7 KO) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Rose is rugged and skilled, but not much is expected of him in this bout.

Rose discusses the advantages of being the man with no standard to live up to in this interview with IFL TV.

There's always a danger factor around an opponent who is fighting with nothing to lose. Here's how you can watch the action.

When: Saturday, June 14, at 10 p.m. ET

Where: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York

TV: HBO

The Book on Andrade

Though he still has a ways to go in the ring and in the popularity department, Andrade is moving in the right direction. He's undefeated as a professional and already talking about taking on the pound-for-pound king. 

Then again, who isn't? Boxing News 24 compared Andrade to the pound-for-pound king. They wrote: "Andrade has been described by some as a younger, taller (by 5 inches), southpaw version of Mayweather because of their similar styles and tremendous boxing skills."

In this interview with The Ring Digital, Andrade states he "is the one to beat Mayweather."

That sounds great, but in all practicality, Andrade is probably too far away from that type of fight. If Mayweather sticks to the terms of his Showtime contract and only fights three more times, chances are Andrade will not have risen up the ranks fast enough to be one of the three.

He'll need to look at plan B, which is becoming the man to carry the torch after Money is gone. That's a much more realistic goal. Andrade has the talent, but does he have the polarizing qualities that Mayweather possesses?

It takes a special person to be the most beloved/hated man in the arena and still perform at a world-class level. Mayweather has done this for well over a decade. 

Andrade is just getting started. We'll see how it goes.

The Book on Rose

A tragic event after a win nearly ended Rose's career. After Rose stopped Jason Rushton in 2009, the latter collapsed on the way to the dressing room at Bolton Arena and had to be rushed to the hospital.

The post-fight events took a toll on Rose. Per Stuart Law of Fight Saga, Rose said:

It nearly ended my career if I'm honest. That fight was the first title I ever won so I went from winning my first title to, in the space of five minutes, seeing Jason collapse on the way to the dressing room. So it was mixed emotions, horrible. A couple of days later I went to see him in hospital and I think I went too soon because he had all his family around his bed and he couldn't feed himself properly. I ran out of the hospital in tears.

In Rose's next fight, he was beaten and stopped by Max Maxwell, and he believes he hadn't overcome the grief for his part in what happened to Rushton.

Rose saw a psychiatrist named Emma James, and he credits her with helping him overcome his mental impediments. Since the loss, he has reeled off 11 straight wins, including avenging the setback to Maxwell. 

Rose has a nice story, but stories don't win fights. Without question, he'll be in the ring with the most talented opponent he's ever faced. Will the Lion roar or be baffled by Boo Boo?

Prediction

There's no quit in Rose. He's tough, has a solid chin and is always in peak physical condition. However, the skill level and athleticism advantages are drastically in Andrade's favor.

The champion's speed and power are far and away better, and it'll lead to a pretty demonstrative step toward Boo Boo becoming a household name. 

Andrade will retain his title with a mid-round TKO victory.

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@BMaziqueFPBR

The Fox Sports 1 fight card scheduled for Friday, May 2 took a hit earlier this month when WBA light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara pulled out of the main event.

The talented Cuban was scheduled to face former IBF light middleweight champion Ishe "Sugar Shay" Smith (25-6. 11 KO) in a fairly intriguing matchup.

Lara instead chose to take on popular Mexican and former champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on July 12. That momentarily left Smith without an opponent. 

Journeyman "Dangerous" Ryan Davis (24-13-3, 9 KO) has stepped in for Lara and will now provide the opposition. This development has made the Friday night card below average.

Smith is one of the more well-known and established members of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Money Team stable.

The Smith-Davis clash is the feature bout in a lineup that will also showcase Mickey Bey, another of Mayweather's young prospects.

Here's how you can watch the event:

When: Friday, May 2 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada

TV: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

The Book on Smith

Coming off a disappointing split-decision loss to Carlos Molina in his last bout, Smith will be looking to get back on the winning track.

Smith surrendered the IBF title he had taken from Cornelius "K9" Bundrage one bout earlier in the loss to Molina. In the fight, Smith looked under-motivated and a little bothered by Molina's awkward style.

Sugar Shay would have liked to get back on track against a respected fighter such as Lara, but he told ESPN.com's Dan Rafael that he understands the Cuban's decision:

It sucks that I’m not fighting for the title but I can’t fault the man for going to get more money. It’s a bigger fight for Lara. This is for our families, making the most money possible. I cannot honestly say with a straight face that if the shoe was on the other foot I wouldn’t do the same thing. He will be in a tough fight for six figures against me, or he can take a tough fight for seven figures against Canelo. It's about math. I can’t blame him for that.

Allan Fox of Boxing News 24 thinks Lara pulling out is a blessing in disguise for Smith:

It might be a good thing that Lara pulled out of the fight with Smith, because it wouldn’t have been good for Smith had that fight taken place. Lara is a lot quicker than him, and he likely would have won an easy 12-round decision. There are guys at 154 [pounds] that Smith matches up well against, but Lara isn’t one of them.

Because he'll be 36 years old in July, now's the time for Smith to find the spark again to hopefully extend his usefulness in the light middleweight picture.

It may be difficult to find the fire against a nondescript opponent such as Davis.

The Book on Davis

If you look up the term "club fighter," you'll find a picture of Davis. If it's a recent picture, he should be grinning from ear to ear, as the 35-year-old from East St. Louis, Illinois, is walking into one of the best opportunities of his career.

He has faced Zab Judah (2007) and Vanes Martirosyan (2012), but he lost to both. In fact, Davis has lost his last four fights.

Aside from a situation like this, there's no other way to envision a fighter of Davis' caliber getting a shot at a man one fight removed from being a world champion.

The fact that it's the main event—even on a Fox Sports 1 card—is just icing on the cake.

Prediction

Legendary hip-hop group Gang Starr has a classic album called Hard to Earn. If the late Guru and DJ Premier could do a follow-up to that masterpiece as a soundtrack to this bout, it might be called Easy to Earn.

The only thing easier than the time Smith will have on Friday night is predicting the outcome. Davis can't punch, and he's fallen into the mold of a guy who expects to lose, whether or not he has acknowledged it.

Losing four fights in a row will do that to a guy.

Smith's not going to shock the world with some secret punching power, but he is a professional and skilled boxer who should be able to send Davis back to the club scene after a lopsided unanimous decision.

Follow me. I'm addicted to the sweet science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Within 10 seconds of the opening bell, all of our questions about Saul "Canelo" Alvarez were answered in definitive fashion. As he rang a jab, left hook and straight right off the head of a game Alfredo Angulo, all doubts were washed away.

Yes, he was going to be too fast for his opponent. Too strong. Too good. A flurry of five punches made that crystal clear. From there, it was just a matter of waiting.

Almost 200 power punches and nine rounds later, referee Tony Weeks mercifully called a stop to the contest. The fight, except for a back-and-forth eighth round, was never particularly close, confirming Canelo's status as an up to 10-1 favorite at some sportsbooks.

And some fans, after the manufactured controversy over Weeks' humanity, were left with a question floating around their subconscious, a niggling doubt. Had they just been hoodwinked by Golden Boy and Showtime and tricked into paying $59.95 for a series of mismatches and warm-up bouts?

Did we get tuned up to watch, well, tune-ups?

The answer, unfortunately, is yes.

According to Bet Boxing, the favorites in each of the three final bouts were in against massively overmatched opponents. Action in the ring backed that up.

Jorge Linares won all 10 rounds against Nihito Arakawa in a completely one-sided affair. Leo Santa Cruz, a promising 25-year-old champion, also pitched a shutout, winning every three-minute stanza against his shopworn 32-year-old opponent Cristian Mijares. 

Worse for longtime fans of the sweet science, if this show is even remotely successful, it could hearken back to the bad old days of HBO Boxing. The pay network, once the lone powerhouse in the world of boxing, spent years delivering premium content to customers.

The biggest fights, simply put, were on HBO. Thomas Hauser wrote in An Unforgiving Sport that a massive fight, like young Mike Tyson defending his championship against former standard-bearer Larry Holmes, drew more than half of HBO's subscriber base, becoming a true mainstream event.

In the 1990s, only 25 fights were deemed worthy of pay-per-view. The best of the best fought on television, for just the cost of your subscription.

Somewhere, that changed. By 2006, the network would present a whopping 10 major fights on pay-per-view. Instead of being the province of true superfights, every name fighter was making pay-per-view his home base. Bouts on HBO proper became warm-up matches or battles between fighters who were looking to make a name for themselves—not stars who were prepared and ready to shine.

Boxing was broken. And it wasn't until last year that HBO and its new rival Showtime righted the ship.

Both networks featured a slew of amazing fights. Pay-per-view, once again, was left only for fighters who had outgrown mere television, such as legitimate mega-stars like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Everyone else was on premium television—where they belonged.

"I think pay-per-view is certainly an effective tool, and we use it where necessary. But our focus has to be the HBO subscribers," HBO Boxing boss Ken Hershman told me earlier this year. "...Pay-per-view as a tool is there in the right circumstances. With fighters like Manny Pacquiao, where the economics dictate it, it's nice to have it. Our infrastructure is second to none, and we take advantage of it very well. But our focus is on HBO."

Unfortunately, Showtime and its promotional partners at Golden Boy have abandoned this winning model. Instead of building the sport in front of the largest potential audience, Showtime has succumbed to the irresistible lure of pay-per-view.

Coming off a loss to Mayweather, Canelo was nevertheless deemed too big for television.

I'm willing to concede there may be a case for Canelo as a star worthy of charging $59.95 for his services. He and Santa Cruz, in fact, make a pretty compelling package. But neither was remotely challenged on this night.

Fans might be willing to drop major bucks on a Mayweather squash match against Robert Guerrero. Canelo, however, will need to step it up in the competition department.

He may indeed end up being a long-running star on pay-per-view. Clearly, time will tell. But it won't be against overmatched opponents like Angulo. When Stephen Espinoza took over Showtime's boxing operation in 2012, he outlined a compelling strategy to take the network to the top.

"We had a clear, decisive strategy from the outset," he told me last year. At its core, it was a mission that could be described in just two words—no mismatches.

I hope he holds that mantra dear in the months to come—especially when it comes to pay-per-view.

After taking the loss against undefeated Floyd Mayweather in September, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (43-1-1, 31 KOs) bounced back on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to destroy Alfredo Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs) via a 10th-round TKO.

Mayweather's speed and defensive prowess had outclassed Alvarez, but with Angulo making his living off his power and willingness to trade blows, this bout was the perfect opportunity for Canelo to regain his elite form.

Using his fearless approach and unique mixture of power and speed, Alvarez was clearly on a mission from the opening bell. While many boxers spend the first several minutes getting a feeling for the game plan of their opponent, Canelo did not care what approach Angulo was using in the ring.

All Alvarez cared about was beating his opponent down.

ESPN's Todd Grisham talked about the early stages of the fight on Twitter:

The first round set the tone for the remainder of the fight, as Canelo landed 37 of 62 punches and had his challenger on his heels with strong combinations and a good mixture of punches to the head and body.

The first three rounds were much of the same—Alvarez would land a flurry of punches, keep Angulo off balance by moving his feet and then land several more shots—and it became clear that Canelo was taking out his frustration from the Mayweather bout.

Alvarez knew he was the better fighter on Saturday and spoke to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael after the fight: "Tonight I was the best fighter. I definitely rebounded from the Mayweather fight with a strong performance. I'm very happy. I came here and did my job."

Not only did Canelo use his straight right and hooks to make a mark on Angulo early in the bout (something Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole noted), but he also mixed in every punch in his arsenal and almost looked to be honing each of his approaches for future fights:

That’s not good news for his next opponent.

The one-sided nature of the fight continued through the fourth and fifth rounds, and the damage started to take its toll as Angulo’s left eye began swelling. The eye became a major issue as the fight progressed and gave Alvarez an even more decisive edge.

Angulo’s best flurry of offense came in the eighth round as the two men stood toe-to-toe in the center of the ring and began exchanging blows. The moments of nonstop action were appreciated by the fans in attendance, who jumped to their feet in support.

Canelo quickly quelled "El Perro's" short-lived offensive explosion, though, as he stunned the challenger and pushed him back on his heels once again.

Alvarez came out and continued his brutal assault in the ninth round as well. A clean left hook clearly rocked Angulo and had referee Tony Weeks and ringside doctors worried about the challenger.

After just 47 seconds into the 10th round—all of which were filled with Alvarez hitting Angulo at will with almost no defense from his opponent—Weeks stepped in and finally stopped the fight.

While many felt the referee made the correct decision stopping this brutal one-sided fight, Sports Illustrated boxing insider Chris Mannix did not agree:

Mannix can argue that the stoppage was premature, but the numbers do not lie. According to ShoStats (via ESPN.com), Angulo landed just 21 percent of his power punches (78 of 377), as opposed to the 64 percent that Alvarez landed (197 of 309).

With such a vast difference in the punches landed, the referee saw the damage taking its toll on the challenger and Angulo’s hands slowly dropping with each round. Given that, the stoppage came at the perfect time, regardless of what the crowd in Las Vegas thought.

Despite what many boxing fans viewed as a controversial ending, there is no doubt that Alvarez was the clear winner of this bout and deserves credit for the bounce-back performance he needed after the loss to Mayweather.

The key now for him will be finding a major name to square off against in his next bout, and the answer to his problem should be the winner of the Sergio Martinez vs. Miguel Cotto bout in June.

Alvarez would have to make the jump to 160 pounds for the bout, but the potential payday from a bout with a mainstream star like Cotto would be worth the physical toll it would take to move weight classes.

Regardless of which fighter is next for Canelo, Saturday’s dominant performance was exactly what his career needed.

*Stats via Compuboxonline.com, unless otherwise stated.

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After annihilating Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo for nine-and-a-half rounds on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the speculation about Saul "Canelo" Alvarez's next bout has already begun.

Alvarez had one of—if not his best—performances. 

There are a few directions Canelo could go from here. Some of his options may actually include moving up to middleweight. 

Canelo did not make the 154-pound weight limit for his clash with Angulo. Per Dan Rafael of ESPN, the weight limit had to be increased for the fight to stay on track. At 23 years old, Canelo's body is maturing and making 154 pounds consistently might not be possible.

If he does stay at 154 pounds, a clash with WBA light middleweight champion Erislandy Lara would be interesting. Lara is a skilled Cuban fighter with speed and moderate power.

Fight News calls for the fight to happen in July.

Lara defeated Angulo in his last bout, but he had tons of problems with him. Angulo dropped him twice before a well-placed punch from Lara badly injured Angulo's eye. The fight was stopped when Angulo turned his back to his opponent and referee.

Some might think that because Lara struggled with Angulo, Canelo would handle him even easier than he did Angulo. That's not necessarily the case. Styles make fights.

It's very possible that Lara's elusive style and speed could give Alvarez issues similar to the ones he encountered against Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr.

Nonetheless, it's an intriguing option for Canelo.

If Canelo decides to move up to 160 pounds, there are a whole new set of challenges there for him. He could look to take on the winner of the Sergio Martinez-Miguel Cotto bout in June.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is already calling for a bout with Cotto and a rematch with Mayweather.

Smith is a bit hasty mentioning a second bout with Money but a bout with Cotto would be one of the biggest fights of the year. Canelo is the most popular Mexican fighter in the world and Cotto is the biggest Puerto Rican draw.

That's a great formula for a major pay-per-view attraction that should generate well over a million pay-per-view buys. 

Cotto would have to beat Martinez, of course. Judging by both men's latest performances, you'd have to give Cotto the edge over Martinez. The question then would be: Does Canelo wait for the winner or does he take another tune up in between?

Per Golden Boy Promotions' Richard Schaefer, Canelo doesn't need to sit around:

In either case, Canelo's performance on Saturday night made fight fans even more interested in his next move.

Follow me. I'm addicted to the Sweet Science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Those looking for a closely contested fight between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Alfredo Angulo Lopez would be disappointed, as Canelo laid it on early and often at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Angulo is known to be a hard-hitting fighter, and it was reasonable to think that he packed the firepower to keep up with the technically sound Canelo; however, that would simply not be the case, as Canelo took the fight easily by a technical knockout in Round 10.

Early in the fight, Angulo looked as though he was trying to get some range, throwing some probing shots at Canelo. Although, that would be the beginning of his downfall, as Canelo proved to be the more aggressive fighter, landing heavy shots including big rights and uppercuts.

The trend continued through the next several rounds, with Angulo taking some softer shots, appearing to only attempt a heavier strike when he found the perfect opportunity—he wasn't able to get any.

Canelo continued to land some heavy combinations, staggering the lethargic Angulo. By the third round, Angulo was already cut open on his nose, as Canelo continued to lay it on.

Angulo just seemed to have a strange game plan early in the fight, as he ditched his hard-hitting ways and attempted to be more calculated against his opponent. Needless to say, this was not the best idea.

By the later rounds, Angulo began to start throwing heavier punches; however, they were few and far between. He seemed content to stick with his plan on throwing thought-out, calculated punches. This late in the fight, it would not be enough.

Late in the match, all that could really be said about Angulo is that he can really take a punch. He acted as Canelo's personal punching bag throughout the bout and continued to remain standing.

Finally, it all ended in the 10th round. Angulo was simply getting pulverized and was warned about a potential stoppage of the fight. Well, it happened. Canelo landed a huge uppercut, staggering Angulo and effectively ending the match by TKO.

It was pretty apparent what went right and wrong for both of these fighters after looking back over the action of the match.

Not much went wrong for Canelo. He absolutely dominated the bout. However, he began to drop his gloves and showboat a bit in the ring as the latter rounds commenced. In the past, we've seen fighters get a little too confident and lose bouts as a result.

Although, after nitpicking about his showboating, only praise can be heaped upon Canelo. His technique was outstanding, he showed a great amount of aggression and his defense was phenomenal against such a heavy-hitting opponent.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Angulo. He completely dismissed his normal brawler moniker and instead decided to take a more calculated approach to the fight. He probed with soft punches and allowed the fight to get away from him early as a result.

It is easy to think that the match would have at least been slightly more contested had he stuck to his guns and came out firing. His methodical approach may have worked if he had mixed in aggression when the opportunity arose; however, he just couldn't seem to find a rhythm at all throughout the bout.

Going forward, Canelo may look to continue his hot streak by facing Miguel Cotto, according to a statement from Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer recorded by Salvador Rodriguez of BoxingScene.com:

I think if Canelo beats Angulo, then we could be talking about a possible fight against Miguel Cotto or Sergio Martinez. We can not rule out Martinez [winning the fight], but if Cotto wins we will try to make that fight, a great pay-per-view between two of the best junior middleweights. We have to wait and see what happens.

Or possibly a rematch with Floyd Mayweather:

As for Angulo, a fair amount of rehabilitation and rethinking of his fighting strategy is in order before he looks to find his way into the ring again.

Friday marked the weigh-in for the highly anticipated junior middleweight bout between Mexican compatriots Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

While these events are often tabbed as vehicles for hyping fights and can lead to tense confrontations between boxers, there was some tangible controversy ahead of Saturday's fight with regard to the weight limit.

Angulo tipped the scales at 154.5 pounds, while Alvarez checked in just a bit over that at 155. According to Black Sports Online founder Robert Littal, the limit was changed at the last minute to accommodate Alvarez's gain:

ESPN.com's Dan Rafael felt that Showtime Sports should have inquired about the change in contract, when Alvarez was being interviewed after he tipped the scales a pound overweight:

Since both Angulo and Alvarez are under the Golden Boy Promotions company, it makes sense that the limit was flexed. Rafael pointed out one of the financial stipulations of the deal that threatened to take away Angulo's $100,000 bonus depending on what Alvarez weighed. Angulo, as it turns out, will hold onto the bonus due to Alvarez's weigh-in result, according to commission documents:

Nevertheless, this is a big opportunity for the underdog Angulo, as he will try to knock off a rising star in Alvarez—who's facing pressure to bounce back after losing his first fight as a professional to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his last official appearance.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated sent out a warning to Alvarez, implying that he better not be taking Angulo lightly. Otherwise, he could be saddled with his second consecutive loss after such a promising career trajectory before then:

In Mannix's own column on the fight, Alvarez acknowledged that Angulo is not an opponent he can gloss over, due to his explosive punching and ability to notch a knockout.

"Angulo is a very dangerous opponent," said Alvarez. "He doesn't mind getting hit as long as he can hit back. It's a fight that can change in one punch on either side."

Sure, it could be viewed that Alvarez's failure to weigh in at the proper poundage signifies his dismissal of Angulo as a formidable adversary. That would probably be an overreaction, though, because Alvarez was just one pound over the initially agreed-upon threshold, and he is known for beefing up in the days leading up to weigh-ins.

Before the bout against Mayweather, Pablo S. Torre of ESPN The Magazine reported that Alvarez would drop to 152 for the weigh-in—two pounds below his normal weight of 154—then bulk up to 164 pounds for the day of the fight, per longtime trainer Ronnie Shields.

That doesn't excuse Alvarez weighing in at 155, and it has to be disappointing to his camp that he's losing $100,000. But Alvarez has to be careful not to balloon his weight too much before the fight, per Rafael:

It's hard to blame him for at least a slight letdown after losing to Mayweather. This weigh-in miscue is a substantial error that is being accounted for in the contract, so Alvarez must put this behind him and focus on his preparation ahead of Saturday's showdown.

So while this weigh-in will be the source of polarizing debate over the next 24 hours or so, what matters most is what Alvarez brings in this critical clash. That should include added weight, a reinvigorated focus after the weigh-in result and a decisive victory over his fellow countryman—though it won't be easy.

This is a make-or-break affair for Alvarez in terms of his prospects of being a bankable pay-per-view star moving forward as a headliner. If he can win in a convincing fashion, the 23-year-old should be on a fast track to reclaim the titles he lost in the Mayweather fight. But a loss would be a devastating blow.

Since Angulo has an innate aggressive style—evident in that he's posted a 22-3 career record with 18 knockouts—these circumstances play into his favor. He is a dangerous upstart and could bolster his future if he's able to pull off the upset.

The tagline for the Saul "Canelo" Alvarez-Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday is "toe-to-toe." Whether the fight is indeed fought in that style remains to be seen.

Angulo is the brawler, so a slugfest is the only chance he has to win. Canelo's hand speed and boxing acumen are superior. Whether he can maintain his stamina and poise amidst Angulo's unrelenting pressure will likely be the deciding factor in the fight.

Per the Las Vegas oddsmakers, Canelo should win. According to Oddsshark.com, Canelo is the minus-1000 favorite to defeat El Perro. You may or may not agree with that prediction, but in fights—as well as other sports—there is more to bet on than the result.

The prop bets for a boxing match can change depending on the participants, their past fights and personalities. That dynamic is what makes prop bets in boxing so interesting and fun. Here's three prop bets for the Canelo-Angulo clash.

(Warning: Images of Angulo's eye injury may be difficult to look at.)

Who Will Bleed First?

Cuts are as much a part of boxing as decisions and knockouts. Sometimes they are precursors to both.

Angulo wasn't cut in his last fight, but his eye was badly swollen after Erislandy Lara connected on a punch that seemed to a fractured orbital bone. Steve Kim of Max Boxing captured an image of Angulo's injury.

Angulo turned away and the referee immediately stopped the fight. Per BoxRec.com, Angulo suffered no broken bones from the injury. The injury certainly looked more serious than it turned out to be.

Angulo discussed the injury and fight with ESPN's Bernardo Osuna:

At the time of the stoppage, Angulo was winning the fight on one judges' card and trailing by a point on the other two. It was the 10th round, Angulo had the momentum and he had dropped Lara for the second time in the round prior.

Lara respects Angulo so much, he actually picked him to defeat Canelo. Per Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene, Lara said:

"If Angulo's eye holds up from the pounding of his last fight, I think he will knock Canelo out."

His performance in the fight against Lara helped to get him this opportunity. That said, the injury he suffered in that fight makes some sort of facial damage a major concern against Canelo.

Canelo has been cut before, but he wouldn't be described as a bleeder by those in the know. Because of the damage Angulo suffered against Lara, it would seem that he'd be the man most apt to bleed first.

But I don't believe that's the case.

His injury was swelling, not bleeding. Having watched Angulo's last five bouts, I don't recall him being cut in any of them.

Canelo was cut in his bout with Shane Mosley in 2012 after a headbutt. Because there is some history there, Canelo is the most apt to be cut in this fight.

Who Will Score the First Knockdown?

Like the last scenario, this occurrence may not even happen. But if it does, it's a good bet the man on the canvas would be Canelo.

Though he's never been down before—and only hurt one time against Jose Miguel Cotto—he usually starts a bit slow. Angulo will look to jump on him early.

If he lands flush, Angulo could drop Canelo and put him in serious peril. Angulo could also drop him with a flash knockdown. Canelo could recover from this, if he has the poise.

Though I predict Canelo will win the fight via TKO, Angulo is so tough. He may never hit the canvas.

Will the Fight go to the Scorecards? 

If this bout is fought toe-to-toe, it seems impossible that the judges' cards will factor in the result. Both men have good power and the need to make a statement.

Angulo is coming off the loss to Lara and Canelo was embarrassed by Floyd "Money" Mayweather in his last bout. In addition to wanting to bounce back from a loss, there's also cultural significance.

The two proud Mexican fighters want to emerge as their country's best. Angulo told Lem Satterfield of The Ring Magazine that this fight is special because of that factor. Angulo said:

"Every fight is important, but this one is more special because all of the fans in Mexico will know that the winner of this fight is the No. 1 Mexican fighter."

With so much motivation to please and two heavy-handed fighters in the ring, chances are this one won't reach the final bell.

Follow me. I'm addicted to the sweet science.

@BMaziqueFPBR

Oddsmakers have made it clear, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is the heavy favorite to rebound from his loss to Floyd "Money" Mayweather and defeat Alfredo "El Perro" Angulo on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Per Odds Shark, Canelo is a minus-600 favorite.

Those odds are a bit longer than they should be. Angulo's boxing skills have improved since aligning himself with trainer Virgil Hunter. In his last bout, he showed great stamina and his usual punching power. 

Though he lost to Erislandy Lara via 10th-round TKO after a punch severely injured his eye, Angulo made a great account of himself.

He had dropped Lara twice and was ahead on one scorecard, and trailing by just a point on the other two, when the fight was stopped.

The performance was enough to thrust him into his first appearance in a main event bout on a pay-per-view card.

In my preview, I tabbed Canelo as the winner by eighth-round TKO, but El Perro is a live dog—no pun intended. His power, relentlessness and newfound boxing skills make him a legitimate threat to defeat Canelo. 

That's my and the Las Vegas oddsmakers' take. Let's look at what a few experts from the sweet science think.

Overwhelming Press Support for Canelo

You'd be hard-pressed to find a boxing writer who is picking Angulo to upset Canelo. The Ring Magazine's Lem Satterfield published a piece with the predictions from 20 boxing writers from a variety of publications.

Only two of them see Angulo winning the fight.

The other 18 had Canelo winning by unanimous decision, TKO or KO. 

Per Satterfield's article, The Ring Magazine's Doug Fischer thinks the fight will be a good one. But he has Canelo winning by unanimous decision. He said:

I see Alvarez getting rocked early and maybe late in a competitive and entertaining fight, but I think he'll control the distance and pace (with his jab and lateral movement) for much of the bout and score more telling blows, busting up the 2004 Olympian's face and maybe hurting the older man to the body. At the end of 12 tough rounds, I think a bloodied but unbowed Alvarez will have clearly won seven or eight.

This is similar to the way I see the fight transpiring; although imagining Canelo persevering through a great deal of punishment might be a stretch.

Canelo can't afford to brawl with Angulo. That would be flirting with disaster. The combination of Canelo's hand speed, power and Angulo's past facial damage makes this one seem like a good bet to be stopped late.

Two Fighters Like Angulo

Fighters can have selfish motivations when they make predictions, so their picks always have to be taken with a grain of salt. That said, Lara believes Angulo will knock Canelo out on Saturday.

Lara told Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene: "If Angulo's eye holds up from the pounding of his last fight, I think he will knock Canelo out."

Perhaps Lara is propping up the man who nearly defeated him in his last bout. If he says Canelo will win, then it could create the thought that Alvarez should beat him considering Angulo nearly did.

Nonetheless, Lara made the bold prediction.

In a recent interview with ESNews Reporting, Angulo said that Lara was a more talented fighter than Canelo. That could imply that Angulo will have an easier time with Canelo than he did with Lara.

That isn't a crazy statement, but styles make fights. We'll see if it's as black and white as that on Saturday night.

Amir Khan is another fighter who has stated he believes Angulo will come away victorious. It should be noted, Khan and Angulo are stablemates under Hunter. If asked, almost every fighter would voice support for the man he trains with.

Khan told Boxing News 24:

Alfredo has looked great in the gym and you can see an intensity in his eyes that he’s ready for this. It’s not going to be an easy fight against Canelo, because Canelo is a slick boxer and moves quite well, but Angulo showed against Lara how good he is at cutting off the ring. Angulo might be seen as the underdog but under Virgil you’ve seen the progress he’s made and you can be sure he’ll force Canelo to work every minute of every round.

Pressure is certainly the key to Angulo pulling the upset. If he can wear Canelo down, he could have his opportunity late in the fight. It will all be resolved on Saturday night.

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