Clenelo should be able to cook Ketchel easily, unless there’s something about Ketchel’s style that the film we have of him doesn’t show.
By outclassing him from a technical perspective, in any way he wants. Picking Ketchel apart from the outside would be far less risky than trying to outfight him on the inside, but I think Canelo could probably do both and win. That's mainly due to how unimpressive I find Ketchel on film, though. I actually would rather see Papke-Canelo.
Well how will he outclass him from a technical perspective? In a world where most inside fighting is guard punching in turns you think Canelo could beat Ketchel? whose era was likely the strongest for inside fighting? Why do you find Ketchel unimpressive he’s done things we don’t see fighters do now in the small film we do have.
Because he's a far better technical fighter in pretty much every way? Even for his time Ketchel was very crude, even when he's fighting on the inside he's wild as **** and leaves himself open frequently with his wild ass swings. He certainly has nothing to offer Canelo from the outside. The only way I can see Ketchel winning this is by pretty much making it a wrestling match and finding a way to find Canelo's chin in the ugliest fight possible, and you're right that the rules wouldn't exactly stop him from doing that. What do you find so impressive about Ketchel on film? He's probably one of the ugliest fighters from that period. Other middles from the period Langford, Klaus, Papke and even Carpentier look much better than Ketchel does. He's essentially the middleweight Wilder.
Lil bit I wrote up on Ketchel that would give you an idea on my opinion, sorry it’s not new I just can’t be fecked rewatching and rewriting
To shed a little insight on why I think this is an interesting matchup is because Ketchel had really good stamina and could take a hellacious beating very well, while Canelo has a famously poor engine, takes a shot well, and gives a shot well. Canelo is the better boxer and will have Ketchel walking into his hard counters for a while, but Ketchel and his iron-clad chin (and his occasional cute defensive moves) might be able to stand up to such counters while pressing the action and backing Canelo up. Then Canelo starts to gas around the 10th (being generous, considering he'll be pacing himself better hopefully) and has the second half of a fight to deal with the Michigan Assassin coming after him and trying to club his ginger locks off.
I was considering making it 45 just for the humour of the thought of the Ginger huffing and puffing while Ketchel hunts him down but decided against it.
