Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders: 5 questions

Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders will meet to unify three of the four major 168-pound titles before a packed house Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (DAZN and pay-per-view).

Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOS) holds the WBA and WBC belts. Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) is the WBO titleholder.

Here are five questions going into the fight.

No. 1

Does Saunders have a chance?

Of course, he does. Saunders is a polished, experience boxer who has won major titles in two divisions and has never lost a professional fight. He’s doing something right. And while he doesn’t have an eye-popping resume, he has beaten some good opponents. Among them: Chris Eubank Jr. (SD), Andy Lee (MD), Willie Monroe (UD), David Lemieux (UD) and Martin Murray (UD). He’s a proven commodity. That’s the positive. The negative is that none of the aforementioned opponents is anywhere near Alvarez in terms of ability, meaning this is a significant step up in class for Saunders. Plus, he isn’t a hard puncher. Only a special boxer (think Floyd Mayweather) or a good boxer with unusual power (Gennadiy Golovkin) will push Alvarez to his limits. Saunders is neither special nor powerful. In other words, he’s in trouble.

No. 2

Why is Alvarez fighting Saunders?

Alvarez has stated that his immediate goal is to unify all four major 168-pound titles. He won the WBA and WBC versions of championship when he easily outpointed Callum Smith in December. A victory over Saunders would give him the WBO title. And, if he beats Saunders, his plan is to fight IBF beltholder Caleb Plant in September in an attempt to own the division outright. Alvarez’s objective is understandable. The four-division titleholder would become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in the four-title era. That would enhance his legacy, which he tells us is his primary motivation. He sees himself as one of the best fighters of all time and he’s determined to prove it. He believes that winning these titles is his path to greatness.

No. 3

Is Alvarez putting too much emphasis on titles?

In my opinion, he is. He seems to have ignored the actual matchups in his pursuit of shiny belts. Consider this: As a result of his unification goal, he will have fought Smith, mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim and Saunders in succession. Were these the best-possible opponents for Alvarez? Of course not. Plant, a dynamic boxer, could be a legitimate test but even he isn’t going to stir the imagination of the fans. I would’ve had Alvarez fight middleweight champ Jermall Charlo, Golovkin a third time (Triple-G earned it) and David Benavidez instead of Smith, Yildirim and Saunders. Alvarez wouldn’t have his undisputed championship but I would argue that victories over Charlo, Golovkin and Benavidez would enhance his legacy more than winning the increasingly meaningless titles. The good news is that he can still make those fights. Let’s hope he does.

No. 4

How has Alvarez managed to dominate British fighters?

That’s an easy one: None of them were particularly good. Alvarez is 6-0 against fighters from the U.K. He has beaten Matthew Hatton (UD), Ryan Rhodes (TKO 12), Amir Khan (KO 6), Liam Smith (KO 9), Rocky Fielding (TKO 3) and Callum Smith (UD). Khan was by far the most talented of that group but he was too small for Alvarez and had a weak chin, which made his mission hopeless against a beast like Alvarez. The rest of them were only solid on their best days. Saunders? He might be the second best of the bunch but he’s still a longshot to pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets in recent history. The U.K. has the two best heavyweights in the world, Josh Taylor and a few other championship-level fighters. They simply haven’t produced anyone who can compete with arguably the best boxer in the world.

No. 5

Who’s going to win?

C’mon. Saunders has the ability to give the methodical Alvarez trouble for a while. He’ll box, he’ll move, he’ll land eye-catching punches here and there, and it will appear that he’s holding his own in the early rounds of the fight. However, all the while, Alvarez will be making calculations in his mind. He’ll gradually cut off the ring, walk through whatever punches Saunders lands, break him down and either stop him in the later rounds or win a wide decision. Saunders is slick enough to survive 12 rounds if he wants to but that would require him to take no risks, which in turn would give him no chance of having his hand raised. I believe he’s coming to win, which probably will lead to his inside-the-distance demise.