CANELO ALVAREZ insists there will be noticeable differences in him when he meets Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr in a 12-round catchweight fight in Las Vegas on May 6.
The all-Mexican clash is set at a 164.5lb weight – the highest Canelo will have fought at in his career to date. Though he previously held the WBC middleweight title, he only fought for it at catchweights of 155lbs.
Alvarez, a three-time super-welterweight champion, is preparing himself for the move in weight but also for the chance to face a man he has long been linked to.
“It’s a new weight, so I have started to spar with heavier partners, which everyone will notice come fight night. Fights between Mexicans are usually the biggest, and I want this fight to be a mark on the legacy that many fights like this have left behind in Mexico’s fight history,” he said.
“I think that a rivalry does exist, and we are both polemic fighters. There have been a lot of comments directed towards me and my character, and I fight for pride to represent my country.”
The pair were mooted to collide years ago, but Chavez’s well-documented struggles with weight scuppered those chances.
Chavez Jnr, also a former WBC middleweight champion, has fought as high as light-heavyweight in the past few years and the last time he weighed in below 167lbs was in 2012 when he lost his middleweight crown to Sergio Martinez.
In his last fight, Canelo won the WBO super-welter title from Liam Smith while Chavez Jr outpointed Dominik Britsch in a super-middleweight contest.
“We are of course are training at 100 percent,” Alvarez continued.
“I think what makes this fight interesting is that we are both heavy punchers. I’ve been in my fair share of mega-fights, and the boxing ring is my home. I have had the same people in my corner since the very beginning, and I trust Chepo and Eddy to fully support me in my corner.”
