Billy's Boxing Blog

By William Trillo

With the big fight only hours away I figured it was a good time to use a little Grey Matter and break down what I believe is going to happen in the main event in Las Vegas. Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KO’s) will be defending all four of his 168-pound belts as he goes up against Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO’s) in this anticipated attraction.

Although Charlo has been considered a “Live Dog” by some experts, I believe he has bit off more than he can chew and will fall to Canelo’s strengths before the final bell rings, and here are my reasons why;

First and utmost is the inactivity of Charlo. Having not stepped into the ring since May of 2022, Charlo has accumulated more rust than a junk yard Edsel. No matter how good of shape he has gotten himself into, the lack of any competition in recent times will become painfully clear before the fight is halfway over.

Then there is the weight problem. Yes, Charlo is a proven warrior but those belts he owns come in two weight divisions under the challenge he takes on tonight. Trust me, Charlo is not going to be channeling Henry Armstrong. The size differential is going to prove to be problematic, there is no way to get around that.

Lastly, if you read between the lines, Charlo has made it obvious the main reason he took this challenge is the Mega-Fight payday. It’s hard to begrudge the man for that, but it will be to his undoing. His motivation to win is secondary, and that could make for a short night.

As far as Canelo goes, he has made his motivation clear. He feels Charlo has never respected his talent and is looking to prove him wrong.

It doesn’t take a Theoretical Physicist to see the writing on the chalkboard. Look for this one to be stopped after ten grueling rounds. I don’t expect to see Charlo answer the bell for round eleven.

On a side note, it looks like Haney is serious about facing Regis Prograis this year. I stand by my original prediction. This will not end well for Devin.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.

By William Trillo

As I sat at the Golden Boy press conference on Thursday afternoon, I was feeling a bit nostalgic remembering when I was just cutting my journalistic teeth in the sport as I watched and covered young fighters like Librado Andrade, Enrique Ornelas and Victor Ortiz begin their careers. As much as I enjoy covering the big fights, it’s always a treat to speak with young boxers who are looking to put their names on the pugilistic map. For the most part, all these guys are genuine, all they want to do is let their actions in the ring show fans who they are and what they are all about. In this day and age of “Look At Me” Social Media stars who are more interested in how many hits their webpage is getting than they are about their Punchstat hits, it’s a real treat to find out about these young men.

One of those fighters is Gael Cabrera. He will be entering the ring as a pro for only the second time on Saturday. I took the opportunity after lunch to speak with his management about the young man from Ciudad Obregón, Sonora, Mexico.

As I found out, while in Las Vegas for a fight in August of 2022, Managers of Champions, Sergio Diaz and Francisco Espinoza were told about a fighter out of Mexico by the name of Gael Cabrera. As Diaz said, “We looked him up and knew we had to get this kid. His pro record is 1-0 with 1 KO but he had a great amateur career with over 200 fights.”

That was the right call by Diaz and Espinoza. Cabrera is an eight-time State Champion, three-time Mexican National Champion, two-time Mexican National Bronze Champion, and the 2022 IBA Junior World Championship Silver Medalist. Obviously, this young man is battle tested and with a newly signed promotional contract deal with Golden Boy, it is likely we will see him often in the coming year.

“He is a good kid and more importantly he is hungry,” stated Diaz. “He has a strong pedigree; his older brother is a fighter. Gael grew up in the gyms in Mexico, he knows what it takes.”

It seems like only yesterday we were talking with Diaz about his fighters Antonio Margarito and Jesus Soto Karass. “We go back many years and had some great times as we guided Tony and Karass to the top; it will be great to work with you again as we watch Gael’s career grow. You are going to see some great things”, said Diaz.

If you want to see Cabrera in action on Saturday, it’s a good idea to get to the show at The Commerce Casino early or catch his fight on The Golden Boy YouTube Channel. I highly recommend it.

Check out www.Pound4Pound.com for all the latest boxing news.