Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s fight with Manny Pacquiao is now in the past, and boxing's next big thing, Canelo Alvarez, will fight this Saturday at Houston's Minute Maid Park. Alvarez has been the subject of much speculation for a fight in the fall vs. Miguel Cotto for the WBC middleweight title, but that would overlook his very dangerous opponent James Kirkland.
These are the three keys for Alvarez on Saturday to survive the onslaught that is the "Mandingo Warrior."
Hurt Kirkland Quickly
Kirkland is a fierce puncher-of his 32 victories, 28 have come by way of knockout-but he's not invincible, and he won't have his usual trainer Ann Wolfe in his corner. Kirkland is undefeated when Wolfe is in his corner, and his only loss came when he had a different voice motivating him.
A relentless puncher and attacker, Kirkland doesn't spend much effort protecting himself. Even in his victories, he's been hurt badly in the early going. When he was upset by Nobuhiro Ishida he was knocked silly in Round 1, and in his epic victory over Alfredo Angulo he looked done after a first round knockdown. And that was with Wolfe as his trainer.
Alvarez has big power, and he needs to use it early before Kirkland gets settled in, because the longer the fight wears on, the better it is for Kirkland who never wears down.
Invest In The Body
Alvarez has visibly tired in fights that go long, whereas Kirkland never quits. If Alvarez sells out early to go for a knockout, he should invest some of that effort to Kirkland's body. It may not fell him in the early going, but it could slow him down in the mid to late rounds when Alvarez has begun to tire. Anything that can reduce Kirkland's output and take some zip off his shots is a plus.
Jab and Initiate
Alvarez is a brilliant counter puncher. He has thunder in his gloves, and likes to let opponents wade before getting battered with three-punch combinations. While Alvarez will likely be able to stun Kirkland in this fashion, he opens himself up to getting hurt by one of the game's hardest punchers.
Kirkland is a brawler, while Alvarez is more versatile. He might want to confuse Kirkland early by coming forward and keeping a jab in Kirkland's face. That could enrage Kirkland and make him more reckless, setting up an impressive knockout. Dating back several years, Oscar De La Hoya has been urging his protege to jab more.
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