Trainer Vergil Hunter says the money that Mexican star Canelo Alvarez has accumulated during his last career has changed him, eroding his hunger & skills, making him vulnerable to losing to Jermell Charlo.
Canelo has massive wealth, with a fortune that fans would die to have at $200 million. It’s a credit to him that he still working hard and not wasting his talent like British fighter Tyson Fury, who has made far less money but is cashing out with soft fights and will likely be out of the sport soon.
Hunter thinks that if Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) can get past rounds seven or eight, the nineteen-year pro Canelo could be at risk of losing the fight.
Vergil notes that Canelo only throws a couple of punches and needs rest breaks. He often spends a lot of time with his back against the ropes, resting his legs and defending, which is something that older boxers tend to do because they lack the stamina to fight in the center of the ring.
We saw a good example of that last weekend with 35-year-old Mercito Gesta fighting with his back against the ropes against unbeaten lightweight contender William Zepeda.
Despite being told to stay off the ropes by his trainer, Gesta repeatedly returned and eventually was halted.
Although not quite as old as Gesta, the 33-year-old Canelo has shown the same inability to stay in the center of the ring, and that could come back to haunt him against a fighter like Jermell on September 30th in their fight on showtime PPV at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo vs. Charlo event begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Showtime pay-per-view.
“Money can do some strange things to you. You can lose the hunger, and when the hunger’s gone, the skills start going,” said Vergil Hunter to Fight Hub TV about his belief that Canelo has lost the hunger that he once had to keep his boxing skills at a level they once were.
Canelo has stayed active and hasn’t slacked off like fighters who become overnight millionaires. Jermell and his brother Jermall have been out of the ring for a long, long time, and some would argue that they’ve been enjoying the fruits of their labor, sitting inside their large mansions in Texas, having fun, and not wanting to get back to work.
It’s reasonable to assume that Jermell could have come back a long time ago to defend against his WBO mandatory Tim Tszyu, but he hasn’t done so. Is it because Jermell has been enjoying the millions he’s made over the last few years? It could be.
Why Canelo will win:
- Experience from his many against top-rung opposition
- Boxing Skills
- Chin
- Defense
- Power in both hands
“If he gets tired against Jermell, and Jermell shows great ability late rounds, it could be a problem if he lets it get on the other side of seven, eight. It could be a problem,” said Hunter.
If Jermell goes for the knockout against a tired Canelo, he could leave himself open for one of the Mexican fighter’s powerful countershots.
Even when Canelo is tired, he remains powerful, and his counter-punching ability remains just as lethal as it was early in the fights. If Jermell goes for the knockout, thinking Canelo is a spent force, he could be walking into a trap.
It would be better for Jermell to focus on winning a decision and not getting greedy. With that being said, Jermell will need to put his trust in the judges so that he won’t be on the receiving end of a controversial decision like many have when fighting Canelo.
“I think he’s very hittable. I think he only throws one or two punches. I think the stamina problem is right there,” said Hunter about Canelo.
