Fights
The loser put Canelo in his place. Self-confident Mexican will remember the fight for the rest of his life
The cunning plan of Alvarez’s promoters failed against a clear outsider.
On the night of September 15, the legendary Mexican Saul Alvarez will defend his championship belts in the super middleweight division. Canelo’s next opponent will be Edgar Belanga, whom many experts consider a passable boxer. However, the Mexican had to face problems even with obvious outsiders.
Durability test
Canelo is a unique boxer. Just starting a professional career at the age of 15 is hard to wrap your head around. But the first four fights at this age went well for the future champion.
The Mexican’s team did not expect any resistance from their fifth opponent, Canelo’s compatriot Jorge “Loser” Juarez. His track record (3-6) and sonorous nickname, to put it mildly, did not reveal him as a great boxer.
Canelo, even at 15 years old, was considered the favorite, despite the large age difference. The athletes were separated by eight years. Even Juarez admitted that he was put into the fight so that Alvarez could gain the necessary experience against an opponent who can take a punch well.
“They brought me to test his skills.” But in the end we were left practically alone in the arena. There were no people because the main fight was over, so it was actually just the judges, the referee and us,” Juarez recalls the surroundings around the fight in an interview with ESPN.
“I felt like I won”
In his youth, Alvarez did not have the technique that allows him to crush his opponents. Saul relied more on one forehand and natural strength. But with the more experienced Juarez, this tactic did not work. In the first of four rounds, the future champion spent a lot of effort, physically giving up in the next segment. This allowed Jorge to take the initiative.
“In the second round he got tired and I started throwing punches and in the end the judges had to make a decision. At the time, I felt like I had won,” Juarez said.
However, the judges had a different opinion on this fight. One gave preference to Juarez, the other to Alvarez, and the third gave an equal score. As a result, a draw was recorded, which spoiled Alvarez’s perfect record.
“They preferred his youth and desire. At the time, this fight meant nothing to me because I never thought it would prosper the way it has. I couldn’t even imagine that people would admire him,” concluded Jorge.
Canelo learned the right lesson from the Juarez fight. For seven years, he left the ring exclusively as a winner. During this time, Alvarez faced 38 opponents. Only the legendary Floyd Mayweather interrupted the fantastic streak.
But the Loser’s career developed in full accordance with his nickname. Jorge hung up his gloves after a series of 16 defeats. He fought his last fight in 2018 with a record of 8-30-3.
Source: Sportbox
Hi, my name is Jayden James. I am a writer at Sportish, and I mostly cover sports news. I have been writing since high school and have been published in various magazines and newspapers. I also write book reviews for a website. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer and basketball.