One man who will be perhaps more interested than the rest of us to see how Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez gets on if/when he challenges WBC cruiserweight champ Ilunga Makabu, is Olanrewaju Durodola. 41 year old Durodola – who faces unbeaten British cruiserweight hope Richard Riakporhe, 12-0(8) for the vacant WBC silver strap at 200 pounds this Saturday night at Wembley – fought Makabu last year, being stopped in the 7th round. Having craved a shot at revenge ever since, “God’s Power” was hoping a win over Riakporhe would earn him the rematch.
Now Canelo will very likely fight Makabu instead. Kindly taking the time to speak with this web site, Durodola, 36-8(33) gave his thoughts on Canelo’s chances against Makabu.
Q: Can Canelo beat Makabu?
Olanrewaju Durodola: “Makabu is still one of the best fighters in the cruiserweight division. Canelo is a good boxer but I can’t see him [Canelo] making weight (being big enough at cruiserweight). But it’s all about money. If Makabu has this big opportunity to fight Canelo, of course he will be happy to fight him. And he will do his best to win. Canelo is no King Kong in boxing. [Erislandy] Lara, the Cuban guy, he beat Canelo after Mayweather but he got robbed.”
Q: So you feel Canelo is too small for cruiserweight?
O.D: “Yeah, but it’s not always about size in a fight. It’s about the talent you have and smartness. So if Canelo can handle the weight, he will fight smart. But if Canelo meets a smart, talented and big cruiserweight, it will be a different story.”
Q: We are looking forward to your fight on Saturday night.
O.D: “Yeah, he [Riakporhe] is a good fighter but he has not been tested yet. He thinks he can take advantage because of my age (Durodola being a decade older than Riakporhe). He has made a big mistake. It should be a great fight. He is good, just untested. As I have said, this fight is a big opportunity for me.”
The cruiserweight division is suddenly one of the most interesting divisions in boxing.