Ronnie Shields: Saul CANELO Alvarez is the real DEAL!

As one of the top trainers in professional boxing, [url]Ronnie Shields[/url] has worked with some of the biggest names in the sport.
Mike Tyson, [url]Pernell Whitaker[/url], [url]Juan Diaz[/url] and San Antonio's own “Jesse” [url]James Leija[/url] are among those who have benefited from Shields' tutelage over the years.


A former three-time national Golden Gloves champion and professional boxer, Shields is known for his direct and often brutally honest approach.
So when the 53-year-old Port Arthur native speaks, his words carry a great deal of weight.
Mexican sensation [url]Saul Alvarez[/url], he says, is the real deal.


“I don't see too many guys out there beating this kid,” Shields said of the fighter they call “Canelo,” the Spanish word for cinnamon. “I really don't.”
Shields' assessment came just a few days after seeing Alvarez take apart his fighter, [url]Kermit Cintron[/url], in a bullring in Mexico City.
His view from the corner that night was of two careers heading in opposite directions.


At 21, Alvarez has already become a bonafide star and was making the third defense of his WBC junior middleweight belt.
He stopped Cintron in a fifth-round TKO with an assortment of punches against the ropes after hurting and dropping him in the fourth.
Shields said he wasn't a believer but changed his mind about Alvarez after seeing “the kid” in person.
“When you look at him on tape, he seems like an easy guy to hit,” said Shields, who works out of the Savannah Boxing Gym in Houston. “He looks slow. Then when you see the kid in person, he's just the opposite.”
“He's a lot better than I thought he was.”
Shields said Alvarez has power in both hands and “tries to knock you out with every shot.”
“You've got to make him respect you, or he'll walk straight through you,” Shields said.

He said earning Alvarez's respect early was part of the game plan, but Cintron didn't execute it.
“We wanted to jump on him early,” Shields said. “But Kermit came out and started boxing him. He started fighting back after he got hurt, but it was too late.”


That came in the fourth round after Cintron was dropped. By that time, it seemed only a matter of when Cintron would be knocked out, not if.
When the end finally did come a round later and the dust settled, it was time to assess the damage, and the futures of both fighters.
For Alvarez, the sky's the limit, but Shields says “there are certain fighters he should stay away from.”


Such as [url]Floyd Mayweather[/url] Jr. After beating Cintron, Alvarez beat his chest and called out Mayweather. Not so fast, Shields says.
“The only way he takes that fight is if he wants to make a lot of money,” Shields said of Alvarez. “I don't think he's experienced enough to deal with a guy who's a great counterpuncher and defensive fighter.”
Another one to stay away from, Shields says, is Austin's [url]James Kirkland[/url].
“Kirkland's not going to show him any respect,” Shields says.
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. would be a good matchup “only below 160 pounds.”
“If they fought at middleweight, Chavez is too big for him,” Shields said. “But if he could get Chavez down to 156, I'd have to favor Alvarez.”





As for Cintron, Shields said he has not spoken to him, but he believes it's time for the 32-year-old Redding, Pa., resident to retire.
“He had a great career,” Shield said. “He's been on top, won a world championship and made some money. He's a family man, he's a really smart guy, and he's young enough now where he can start a new career.
“He has his sanity, too, which in this sport is a victory in itself.”

This content is protected

 

do we have an avatar bet going for this one 1 month my choosing of alvarez picture?

or is that just sjs and Leon


Man up buddy, lets do this.

 

Put your avatar where your mouth is, come on? why are you employing the black slick running mode right now