Yesterday, boxers Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32KOs) and Amir Khan(31-3, 19KOs) arrived in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino looking like new money to the delight of a throng of Cinco De Mayo fans for their inaugural fight this Saturday, May 7, 2016 at the spanking new T-Mobile Arena. Alvarez, who hails from Mexico, is the current WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion looking to defend his title against Khan, a former two-time world champion from the UK. While both fighters already have considerable fan interest in keeping with the caliber of boxer that historically grab a prime Cinco De Mayo fight date in Las Vegas, with the controversy that presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has whipped up with his less than positive campaign references to Mexicans and Muslims, Canelo vs. Khan will have an extra added political boost come Saturday May 7, when it is telecast live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT. ” You know how controversial Trump is,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya has said in describing how this fight came to pass for Canelo, adding: I said, let me put in Amir Khan who is Muslim and then let me put in Canelo Alvarez, the Mexican fighter who is the most popular fighter on the planet today. Let me put them in there and create this big mega event and show that they belong in this country.”
As for Canelo and Khan, their interests upon arrival yesterday seemed to be more in keeping with the sport of boxing itself: ” There is a difference between wanting and doing,” said Canelo of Khan, continuing, ” On Saturday night, we will see who will give who a boxing lesson… I’m ready to go all of those rounds, and if the knockout presents itself – I’m ready to take it,” concluded Canelo.
As for Khan, knock outs were on his mind also: “I know I’m here as the underdog, but I’m ready to win and take this WBC belt back to my home in England…I will be the new world champion. I think it will be difficult to knock Canelo out, but I know I can give him a boxing lesson.”
During the lead up to this battle, much has been made of the fact that Canelo has yet to face the other King Kong in the division, Kazakhstan’s Gennady Golovkin (35-0, 32KOs) who is the WBA Super World middleweight Champion, IBF World middleweight champion, IBO World middleweight champion and the interim WBC World middleweight champion. While Golovkin struggles to get someone of Canelo’s status to face him, Amir Khan, while very talented and dangerous, still had to go up in weight in order to fight Canelo and has also been revealed in past fights as having a less than granite chin. With regard to the weight issue, during the weeks of press that have led up to this week’s battle it has been noted by many that Khan looks physically bigger than Canelo side by side. Factoring this in with Amir’s signature speed and his unquestionable ability to fight as a former two time world champion and Saturday’s battle could end up being something to talk about beyond the less sporting issues of the Republican party, and Muslim versus Mexican.
See more photos of the two champions arrivals at The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino here:
