By Brian Mazique
Compelling characters make boxing interesting. We have two ready to square off on Saturday night from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, when Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KO) takes on James "Mandingo Warrior" Kirkland (32-1, 28 KO) in what could be a knockdown, drag-out fight.
The chances this one goes the distance seem slim. Kirkland's style is one that almost guarantees a stoppage, one way or the other. He's had only three fights in his career go the scheduled distance.
Alvarez knows what he's in store for against Kirkland. Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Alvarez said: “Kirkland is very strong and dangerous, a big puncher and I’ve trained so hard I’m prepared to go the distance if I need to. Every fight for me now is dangerous and tough. That’s how I’ve prepared.”
When: Saturday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas
TV: HBO
Live Stream: BoxNation (In UK only)
The Heir Apparent
The title of No. 1 Mexican fighter is there for Alvarez to claim. With Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. looking less legendary in every passing fight, Alvarez is in position to be the man. Because of that status, Alvarez also has the chance to become the top pay-per-view star in the sport once Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have hung up their gloves.
After losing to Mayweather in 2013, Alvarez is looking to establish an identity in the sport. He's fought and won twice since then, but his best showing was against a clearly overmatched Alfredo Angulo in March 2014.
Is Canelo a boxer/puncher or a classic Mexican slugger?
It's unclear if the 24-year-old star from Jalisco, Mexico, even knows who he is just yet. He might not have had a career-defining bout yet in his career. Every fighter needs a signature performance; Alvarez is still searching for his own.
The Thriller
Kirkland will do his part to create something special. There isn't a more dynamic puncher in the sport than the 31-year-old from Austin, Texas.
His 84.85 percent KO rate is impressive. In his career, he's proven to have one-punch KO power and the toughness to get off the canvas and stop an opponent, as he did against Angulo in 2011. It was a Nigel Benn-like performance. Kirkland is not without flaws inside the ring and out.
His lone loss came in what was supposed to be a tuneup bout against Nobuhiro Ishida in 2011 that turned into an embarrassing first-round TKO loss. Since then, Kirkland has won five fights in a row, with none of them going the distance. However, he hasn't fought since 2013, when he stopped Glen Tapia in the sixth round.
Management changes and legal struggles have dogged Kirkland's career. He signed with rapper/boxing promoter 50 Cent in October 2013, but the only fight he's had since is the bout with Tapia. In an interview with Anson Wainwright of Ring.TV, Kirkland says the layoff was due to him turning down undesirable fights.
Previous layoffs in his career have been caused by stints in prison. Since 2003, Kirkland has been in jail twice. There's no disputing his talent, but his unpredictable behavior has stagnated his career.
On Saturday, he has an opportunity to put himself on the fast track to stardom and notoriety. If he can beat Canelo, the entire boxing world will know who James Kirkland is, and it'll be based solely on his in-ring accomplishments, not his crimes outside of it.
