Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez vs Tony Galento

Zzzzzzzzz

 

For one, they both have explosive left hooks that can crush many a heavyweight

 

Canelo's opponents at 168 may balloon up to 180-185, but that doesn't make them the same size as many of the heavyweights in the past that trimmed down from 200 lbs to 180-185 and not to mention many of the heavyweights back in those days that were well over 200 lbs.

Also, Canelo sparring with cruiserweights and heavyweights isn't the same as him actually competing at cruiserweight or heavyweight. Canelo has had opportunities to fight Makabu, Badu Jack, and even Jai Opetaia, but each time he's demanded catchweights heavily in his favor at either 175 or 180. There were talks of Canelo being interested in fighting Usyk, but once again Canelo wanted a catchweight at 201.

Here is a piece with Jai Opetaia talking about being offered a fight with Canelo, but also about having to come in at 175 for the fight.

IBF cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia claims he was offered a fight with Canelo Alvarez by Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.

However, Opetaia affirms Alalshikh wanted to make the clash at light-heavyweight (175lbs) which is too big of a drop for the Aussie, who has never fought below cruiserweight (200lbs) in the paid ranks.

"I feel like if Canelo was to come up to my division then he is too small but that's another fight you can't say no to," Opetaia told Fight Hub TV.

"[Turki Alalshikh] actually rang me last week and said 'would you fight Canelo?'

"He said 'at 175lbs' and I wouldn't be able to make anything lower than cruiser. The jump from 79kg (175lbs) to 91kg (200lbs) is ridiculous."

Canelo, the undisputed super middleweight (168lbs) king, has never competed above light-heavyweight.

It seems extremely unlikely Canelo would move up to cruiserweight given that he is said to walk around at 180-185lbs.

And with Opetaia unable to drop below 200lbs the fight seems like nothing more than a pipe dream.
https://talksport.com/boxing/1918437/canelo-alvarez-fight-world-champion-new-weight/

Gainer unlike Canelo had close to a dozen fights against heavyweights going into his fight with Galento, so Gainer was used to fighting heavyweights.

Here is a piece with Gainer talking about his weight going into his overweight match with Lewis.

Gainer assured the commissioner that by "coming in" at 176 or better he would not be placing himself at a disadvantage.

"I have fought several fellows at 177 and 178." Gainer declared. "and I'm not going to endanger myself by making an overweight for Lewis."

Gainer pointed out that he weighed 177 for Charley Massera recently, and he also weighed 177 on two occasions when he met Maxie Rosenbloom, then the champion. And he weighed 178 for Babe Hunt. And only on one occasion in these four bouts was he on the short end a decision against him with Rosenbloom.

However, in his seven bouts in Pittsburgh, four of which ended in knockouts and the three others in decisions. Gainer was under the title limit. He was heaviest against Red Barry at 171. He weighed 170 for Joe Knight, 169 for George Nichols, 169 for Billy Nichy and 168 for Red Bruce.

"I have fought all the big fellows that my manager could get for me and it all depended on whom I was going against on what weight I would decide to make," Gainer pointed out.

"I'm going to be just as strong at 176 or 177 for Lewis as I would be at 169," Gainer confided. "The weight is the least of my worries. All I want is to get that fellow in the ring: after that I'll take care of myself."

In Gainer's last fight he knocked out Tony Galento in four rounds in the semi-final to the Louis-Schmeling massacre. For that bout he weighed 168. And while he made a proverbial "monk*y" out of Galento, who scored the quickest knockout in Pittsburgh ring history when he stopped George Panka with the first punch of the first round at Motor Square Garden. Gainer's trainer said that Al had been sick two days before the fight, which accounted for his poundage being lighter than usual.

When Gainer defeated Jimmy Braddock, now heavyweight champion, in December of '31, he weighed 178, and in many other victories he has entered the ring in the neighborhood of 177, which is the stipulated weight in his present contract, although a pound either way will protect a $500 weight and appearance forfeit.
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