Tim Bradley thinks it’s a “gutsy” move if Jermell Charlo attacks Canelo Alvarez to the body on Saturday night because it’s an area that his past opponents have largely avoided due to the risks involved.
Bradley says that if Jermell (35-1-1, 19 KOs) does go downstairs, he could be asking for trouble because Canelo will take advantage of him bending forward to throw body shots.
What Bradley should have been saying is that Charlo will need to fight the best he ever has and hope that the judges recognize what he’s done.
Trying to win a decision against the superstar Canelo is near impossible, and better fighters than Jermell have failed to do it.
Still, Jermell is going to have to do something if his initial plan fails to work because jabbing from a distance won’t be effective. The judges don’t give much credit to Canelo’s opponents, who jab a lot and don’t focus on throwing power punches.
What could play a factor in this fight is Jermell’s long layoff. He’s been out of the ring for 17 months and has put on weight for the fight. What this could mean is he’s not going to be as sharp as he was in his last fight, and the chances are high that he’s going to gas out in the second half.
“I think it’s interesting. First of all, no one’s ever really committed down to Canelo’s body. I think it’s gutsy, but at the same time, I think it’s dangerous,” said Tim Bradley to the ProBox TV forum about trainer Ronnie Shields saying that Jermell Charlo should attack Canelo Alvarez’s body.
“When you’re facing a bigger guide, you don’t want to stand there and exchange body shots with this guy. You want to move, use your legs. You want to get in and out on them. Use that in-and-out move.
“You don’t want to stand there and give Canelo Alvarez an opportunity to land something because you have to understand this: when you go down to the body, you have to commit mid-range to inside.
“You got to drop your level; your hands are going to be dropping, and that’s going to leave exposure up top, and that’s what Canelo likes. He doesn’t mind that, and if you go and look at the track record of how many guys were able to land on Canelo’s body because he leans forward, he uses that high guard, and it’s really hard to get around that high guard to get to his body.
“These hands right here, they’re like little mouse traps. As soon as they’re hit with something, then he’s coming back with the counter. So if you’re trying to get around to that body, it’s going to be extremely dangerous.
“I believe for a guy like Charlo, the smaller guy again, to really get down there, he’s taller, to really reach down there. He’s coming down to Canelo’s level, putting himself In harm’s way. So I don’t think it’s a great idea.
“If you go back and look at the CompuBox at how many guys were able to get to his body. Bivol, I believe, was able to get there 11 times. Before that, GGG was able to get there in the three fights that they had 23 opportunities that he was able to get there.
“He didn’t land, but he went down and tried to go down there downstairs to hit Canelo to his body. So, guys don’t get to Canelo’s body all that often, but it’s a gutsy move. I hope the strategy works, but I doubt it. I surely doubt it,” said Bradley.
