Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez has been backed down to smaller odds for what will be seen as an upset victory over Gennady Golovkin on September 15 in Las Vegas.
The two-weight world champion, who escaped with a draw controversially in the first meeting one year ago, posted a video of himself working out last week and looked in tremendous shape.
Since then, Canelo has shifted odds to almost even money to score a triumph over the Kazakhstan puncher next week.
Canelo has lost only once in his career to the great Floyd Mayweather and promoter Oscar De La Hoya believes that the 27 year-old has the real ‘Mexican Style’ to inflict a first reverse on Golovkin’s record.
“Well, it’s obviously (Golovkin using Mexican Style) all a gimmick. It’s a gimmick to win fans over,” said De La Hoya.
“I did it with fighting hard and beating the best out there and fighting the best out there. Canelo did it the same way. He’s a Mexican national, and the Mexican Nationals love him. So all this gimmick stuff about Mexicans for Golovkin and Mexicans for Pacquiao, that’s all it is. It’s a gimmick.
“It’s sad to know there are a few fans that fall for it, but it’s really nice to know that Canelo has Mexican fans that love him and support him 1,000 percent.”
On how Canelo is seen by the younger generation, De La Hoya added: “That’s exactly what it’s all about is looking up to fighters that you want to be like when you grow up yourself.
“That’s what every sport has. Every sport has a hero. Every sport has an athlete that they look up to. Saul is the one on top right now. He’s the one who is look upon. He’s the hero. And so everybody — every young fighter looks up to him and wants to be like him.
“So that’s the beauty about boxing is that, when you have fighters like Saul who can come up and be those role models, it only makes boxing better, and it gives these kids an opportunity for them to realize their own dreams,” he said.
Golovkin seemed to do enough to get the win last time out, whilst the bad blood between the pair is more evident than ever, leading to fans expecting a much more explosive battle in the rematch.
