Junior Makabu vs Canelo Alvarez

WBC has approved Alvarez’s request to face WBC cruiserweight champion Makabu.
Absolutely insane.

In light of their new 'Bridgerweight' division (FFS) the WBC did recently announce that they intend to lower their Cruiserweight limit from 200 lb back down to 190 - I strongly suspect that this fight will be the first to implement that new limit and would have been a key negotiating point for Canelo. Makabu has never looked the biggest Cruiserweight but nevertheless there's a chance that cutting down to 190, if indeed he has to, could weaken him slightly. Canelo and his team put an overnight rehydration limit clause on Kovalev's contract (no more than 185 on fight night were the terms, I believe) so every chance they will be insisting on something similar here.

Don't know what to make of this. There are names between Middle and Light-Heavy I'd rather see Canelo in there with as Makabu, heavy-handed though he is, is no great shakes. But the size difference (even if Canelo's team find a way to bridge it as much as they can) sells this fight and it never hurts a fighter's pound for pound claims if they're beating naturally bigger and heavier guys. Canelo has that reputation to think of.

If Makabu comes to legitimately win and Canelo still pulls it off then you have to hand it to him, regardless of how natural you think his progression through the weights has (or hasn't) been. I just get a terrible feeling it'll be another case of a Canelo opponent mysteriously forgetting that they've got a height and reach advantage, looking like they're pulling their punches and reacting to everything he does.

Surprising move if it comes off - could be a disastrous blunder in judgement which will backfire, or could be an inspired and calculated risk which gets Canelo the most credit for the least work. Considering his career so far and the forces at play, I suspect it'll be the latter....But I'd be quite interested to give it a watch.

Junior can give it a fair whack, and Canelo hasn't faced a genuine heavy hitter since Jacobs? I'm a little surprised Canelo took this fight if this was what his direction was. Makabu was due to face Mchunu, with the fight probably happening around February. Makabu just about beat Mchunu in their first fight, and at 5'8, the physics of fighting him would be a little easier, or if Junior wins, Makabu has the Canelo fight on a short turnaround. Nonetheless, if Canelo goes up two weight classes and beats Junior, fair play

If this fight is on the level i'd actually expect Makabu to win and probably by knockout too, he will be by far the hardest puncher Canelo will have faced on top of being presumably the strongest. That being said the fight won't be on the level so another easy title in another weight class it is.

As an aside if Canelo does win, that means Mayweather will have beaten world champions from Flyweight up to Cruiserweight with a couple of gaps in the middle. My rudimentary history knowledge would suggest that's the biggest span of anyone, Duran with victories of Marcel and Barkley spans Featherweight to Light Heavyweight.

I think that's the nail on the head, Soul. Makabu has absorbed and walked through some big punchers at Cruiser so it doesn't compute that he would become hesitant and worried about being countered by someone like Canelo. If, like some others, he suddenly goes into a shell and wilfully concedes ground then safe to say we've got another WWE-style farce on our hands. The judges will, of course, have Canelo his customary three rounds up before the fight has begun.

Thinking about it more forensically, I'm just moving more and more towards my initial feeling that Canelo and his team wouldn't go for this unless they knew, or at least strongly felt, that it's a safe bet and that Makabu will just be happy with the payday. If Canelo wins this fight then I don't expect it to look like a full-blooded or totally legitimate one.

88Chris05 wrote:.... the WBC did recently announce that they intend to lower their Cruiserweight limit from 200 lb back down to 190 - I strongly suspect that this fight will be the first to implement that new limit .... Makabu has never looked the biggest Cruiserweight but nevertheless there's a chance that cutting down to 190 .... could weaken him slightly. Canelo and his team put an overnight rehydration limit clause on Kovalev's contract ....

Are the WBC going out on a limb here, surely there needs to be weight class consistency / agreement between them and the other world sanctioning bodies?

Funnily enough, Bertie, this wouldn't be the first time there has been some difference between the sanctioning bodies on what the Cruiserweight limit is.

After it was originally set at 190 lb, the WBC decided to raise it up to 195 for their title in the early eighties, largely because they wanted Leon Spinks to fight for their belt, but Spinks (by now acknowledging he was too small for Heavyweight) said that going down to 190 could drain him. He was supposed to face Carlos De Leon for the title, but De Leon unexpectedly lost to S. T. Gordon and the fight went ahead as a non-title one instead.

During those years the WBA stayed put at the original limit. It was only when the IBF introduced their first title at 190 that the WBC relented, returned to the old limit and standardised it at 190 lb. I think they were all in agreement on raising it up to 200 lb in 2003 though.

Lost to Bellew didn't he ???

Should be a winnable match...

If you are top quality these days you should be able to plot a route with all these titles towards becoming a multi weight champion.

Look at Darrin Van Horn....

Canelo points.

Canelo is everything that is right and everything that is wrong with boxing all rolled into one. I WANT to like him, I really do, but every fight he has seems to come with an asterisk.

1. You can fight me for the Middleweight Title but my opponent must do it at 155lbs, therefore weakening you and putting me at an advantage.
2. I'm going up to Light Heavyweight but will only fight if there's a rehydration clause is in place, therefore potentially weakening my opponent and putting me at an advantage.
3. I have been banned for testing positive, but I only got banned for a paltry 6 months and then come straight back into boxing with one of the biggest fights of the year.
4. One of the judges in my first fight with GGG scored the fight 118-110, totally at odds with everybody else scoring the fight, and thus allowing me to get a draw. Phew, lucky there.

Etc, etc, etc.

Yet he's exciting to watch, a good fighter and obviously has a chin made of Mexican girders. I just can't warm to him though, and I have no doubts that he's chosen the easiest route to a Cruiser title. I salute him for doing it, but if you want to fight the bigger boys, do it properly without imposing sanctions on them.

If like Chris, you apparenrly believe Canelo's opponents take a friendly roll in the hay in his fights when the going gets tough, the first face off between Makabu and Canelo will probably do little to enthuse you for this fight. Makabu looks happy to be here, which doesn't inspire confidence.


https://youtu.be/nIEOCp4B6Uk
Equally concerning, the height difference here doesn't look particularly noteworthy.


Happy for Jr though, both him and his family will never have to work again.

According to reports Canelo will weigh around 180lbs.
Makabu will be at the 200lbs limit and that there will be no rehydration limit.
Seems like it will be a real fight.

Jeff Navarro wrote:According to reports Canelo will weigh around 180lbs.  
Makabu will be at the 200lbs limit and that there will be no rehydration limit.
Seems like it will be a real fight.

Props to Canelo if that's true. I remember when Eubank went up 2 weight classes to challenge Carl Thompson at cruiser. 2 cracking fights there. I just hope that Makabu gives it 100% and genuinely does turn up and try to win rather than taking a pay day. I want to see how Canelo copes with cruiser smacking him in the face

Wake me up when he fights Benavidez or Beterbiev

kingraf wrote: I'm a little surprised Canelo took this fight if this was what his direction was. Makabu was due to face Mchunu, with the fight probably happening around February. Makabu just about beat Mchunu in their first fight, and at 5'8, the physics of fighting him would be a little easier, or if Junior wins, Makabu has the Canelo fight on a short turnaround

Seems I was right to be surprised. Mchunu-Makabu is penned on for the 29th of January with the winner ostensibly facing Canelo on Cinco de Mayo. Looking forward to this fight - Mchunu gassed bad in their first fight, but he was cruising until his gas tank ran dry. Pretty sure Smith Boxing Gym is still run from a garage, so I have low hopes of this having improved to any great degree, but we'll see

kingraf wrote:

kingraf wrote: I'm a little surprised Canelo took this fight if this was what his direction was. Makabu was due to face Mchunu, with the fight probably happening around February. Makabu just about beat Mchunu in their first fight, and at 5'8, the physics of fighting him would be a little easier, or if Junior wins, Makabu has the Canelo fight on a short turnaround

Seems I was right to be surprised. Mchunu-Makabu is penned on for the 29th of January with the winner ostensibly facing Canelo on Cinco de Mayo. Looking forward to this fight - Mchunu gassed bad in their first fight, but he was cruising until his gas tank ran dry. Pretty sure Smith Boxing Gym is still run from a garage, so I have low hopes of this having improved to any great degree, but we'll see

Mchunu refused step aside fee from Canelo’s side.

Jeff Navarro wrote:

kingraf wrote:

kingraf wrote: I'm a little surprised Canelo took this fight if this was what his direction was. Makabu was due to face Mchunu, with the fight probably happening around February. Makabu just about beat Mchunu in their first fight, and at 5'8, the physics of fighting him would be a little easier, or if Junior wins, Makabu has the Canelo fight on a short turnaround

Seems I was right to be surprised. Mchunu-Makabu is penned on for the 29th of January with the winner ostensibly facing Canelo on Cinco de Mayo. Looking forward to this fight - Mchunu gassed bad in their first fight, but he was cruising until his gas tank ran dry. Pretty sure Smith Boxing Gym is still run from a garage, so I have low hopes of this having improved to any great degree, but we'll see

Mchunu refused step aside fee from Canelo’s side.

Why take step aside when you can beat Makabu and get the whole purse? The only thing Makabu had on Mchunu in the first fight was an engine, so I can see Mchunu thinking he's corrected that and will be much better the second time round.

kingraf wrote:

Jeff Navarro wrote:

kingraf wrote:

kingraf wrote: I'm a little surprised Canelo took this fight if this was what his direction was. Makabu was due to face Mchunu, with the fight probably happening around February. Makabu just about beat Mchunu in their first fight, and at 5'8, the physics of fighting him would be a little easier, or if Junior wins, Makabu has the Canelo fight on a short turnaround

Seems I was right to be surprised. Mchunu-Makabu is penned on for the 29th of January with the winner ostensibly facing Canelo on Cinco de Mayo. Looking forward to this fight - Mchunu gassed bad in their first fight, but he was cruising until his gas tank ran dry. Pretty sure Smith Boxing Gym is still run from a garage, so I have low hopes of this having improved to any great degree, but we'll see

Mchunu refused step aside fee from Canelo’s side.

Why take step aside when you can beat Makabu and get the whole purse? The only thing Makabu had on Mchunu in the first fight was an engine, so I can see Mchunu thinking he's corrected that and will be much better the second time round.

Wouldn’t surprise me if Canelo opted against fighting Mchunu if he dethrones Makabu. Canelo seems to only want to fight Makabu at 200lbs.