Opening Bell: Mayweather-Alvarez Fight Week Is Here

Photos by Anna John for StiffJab.com

by Gautham Nagesh

Well Fight Fans, it’s finally here. We’re just a few days away from the biggest boxing event of the year, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez for the junior middleweight championship of the world. Recess is over and Congress is back, so the demands of the day job have me sticking around until Thursday. But I’ll be heading to Las Vegas that evening to bring you full coverage of everything from the weigh-in to the first undercard bout at the MGM Grand.

Unlike my previous trip to Vegas to cover Mayweather, Stiff Jab has been granted auxiliary press access for the event, which should ensure I can bring you interviews and photos of the press conferences and accompanying events. As for the fight itself, I’m still scheming on getting myself as close to the action as possible. We’ll do whatever it takes, but a hot hand at the craps table wouldn’t hurt.

While I’m in Vegas, I’ll probably be amped up and in the mood to talk boxing all weekend. So if you’re interested in sparing the guy next to me at the poker table, consider stopping by the bar after the fight and saying hello. We’re usually posted up with some of the other boxing writers, and we always love hearing from our loyal readers. Hopefully the deadline report would have been long since filed by then. If you’re interested in touching base, you can always reach us on Twitter, where we’ll be live-tweeting the festivities.

Oscar de la Hoya Checks Back Into Rehab: Some sobering news to start Fight Week: Golden Boy Promotions boss Oscar de la Hoya (below) released a statement today announcing he will miss the fight this weekend because he has checked himself back into rehab. The Golden Boy’s struggles with substance abuse are well-documented, and doubtless, some will use this sad occasion to crack jokes about some of de la Hoya’s previous antics.

Not us. We are all flawed, some simply have the misfortune of seeing their personal demons play out in public. We wish Oscar the best in his fight, undoubtedly the toughest he has faced to date.

HBO Finalizes Oct. 5th Triple-header: Official news today from HBO, which finds itself in the unusual situation of sitting on the sidelines for the biggest boxing event of the year. To reclaim some of the thunder stolen by Showtime, HBO is turning to the most cherished promotional tool in the sport: the heavyweight championship of the world. Top-ranked Wladimir Klitschko will defend his crown on October 5th against third-ranked Alexander Povetkin in Moscow. The fight will shown live at 3:30pm, and then again later on tape delay along with Miguel Cotto vs. Delvin Rodriguez and Terence Crawford vs. Andrey Klimov from the Amway Center in Orlando.[[MORE]]

Klitschko-Povetkin is probably the most intriguing fight to be made in the heavyweight division, unless David Haye can do something to build interest in a rematch with Klitschko. Povetkin is no spring chicken at 34, and he has done pretty much everything one can to build up to this fight. He has wins over a host of quality heavyweights like Eddie Chambers, but of course, no one in the world is on the same level as the Klitschkos.

Wlad’s pinpoint jab and large-caliber right hand should rule the day, but these are heavyweights, so Povetkin could always land a big punch and stop the champ. Doing so would inject some much-needed life into boxing’s money division, and spawn a huge rematch. If Wlad wins, the search continues for a worthy challenger. Povetkin seems like one of the few with the tools to take the title, but it seems increasingly likely that only age or retirement will conquer Klitschko.

Cotto and Rodriguez have both lost to Austin Trout recently, and are seeking one final shot at the top of the 154-lb division. In truth, the fight is a step down for Cotto, but it still poses considerable risk. Losing to Rodriguez would put a permanent dent in the Puerto Rican superstar’s marketing potential. Cotto has been through many wars, and it’s getting harder to watch him take punches, warrior though he is. The fight is all upside for Rodriguez, who has always fallen short when trying for the highest level.

Crawford’s star is on the rise, but Top Rank boss Bob Arum is still babying his cash cow from Omaha. Crawford’s skills are impressive, yet he doesn’t seem like the type of fighter that will ever set the fans’ hearts aflutter. Which means he needs some big fights, and savvy promotion, to become a Pay Per View star. If anyone can do it, Arum can. Klimov is unbeaten and a fairly skillful boxer, but he shouldn’t pose a serious threat to Crawford.