IMO it has to be improvisation from long range. When he gets in close I think it's hard to find a more classy operator from the standpoint that we are watching a kid in his early twenties. But he takes too long to set himself. I think that is why most Mexicans are hard to beat in the first place, they just throw. doesn't matter if they are long range or short, but with Alvarez like Max Kellerman said about George Groves in comparison to Carl Froch (Can't believe I'm quoting Kellerman here) "Groves likes everything to be set just perfect before he throws. Froch just throws" that sums up Alvarez and his biggest problem for me
Against slower brawlers like Angulo, highish workrate and smooth combinations. Against boxers like Gomez, Trout, Floyd, and Lara, low workrate, few combinations. It's the style that confuses him more than anything else. As you say, if Canelo isn't able to set himself, he finds it massively difficult to initiate his offense, and boxer-types force him to constantly reset. It also doesn't help that Canelo is more of a counterpuncher, and if the openings aren't there to counter his natural inclination is to not throw. He mostly needs to learn how to use his jab well and the rest will fall in place. He has an ok jab when he uses it, but he typically abandons it in favor of power shots.
Good point. One of the things that bothers me the most about him, and this is relative to your post, is that all the punches he throws have to be power punches. That in my opinion makes it way easier to predict him. He needs to stay busy, if at least with the jab, to set up those powerful combos.
