Canelo Alvarez will make his highly anticipated return to the ring soon but it\u2019s not fully ironed out who is opponent is just yet. Early signs point to Alvarez clashing with WBO Middleweight titleholder Demetrius Andrade. Alvarez, who hasn\u2019t lost a fight since suffering his first defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2013, will look to extend his win streak with his titles on the line. Here\u2019s an early look at that matchup along with a pick for who to bet on: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While there has been a lot of talk about the fact that Alvarez has dealt with a potential issue with his left knee, he is supposedly healthy again heading in to this fight. As long as he doesn\u2019t aggravate anything in training, he should have an obvious edge in this matchup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Canelo is known for his incredible punching power and that\u2019s going to be a lot for Andrade to handle. He\u2019s outstanding at closing distance and getting inside to land blow after blow against his opponents. He brings a lot of pressure and Andrade just hasn\u2019t faced anyone like that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, everything circles back to the strength in his legs. If Alvarez is still dealing with some lingering pain, it could affect his ability to bounce around. Canelo deserves to be a big favorite for this potential title fight. It would be a very sizable upset if the outcome is anything but a win for him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrade will enter this bout with a perfect 28-0 record following his unanimous decision win over Maciej Sulecki. Just months after knockout out Artur Akavov, Andrade had no problem bouncing around and landing one shot after another in a fight that ended up going the distance. Andrade dominated that WBO Middleweight title fight against Sulecki, dropping him in the first round and then going after him relentlessly as he dominated every round after that. While it wasn\u2019t the most entertaining fight for the fans, it set the table for this title unification fight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrade called out Canelo multiple times following the win and it\u2019s clear that he believes he has what it takes to beat him. With his incredible punching power and more importantly his accuracy, Andrade could legitimately win this fight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Size shouldn\u2019t matter much in this matchup. Neither should experience. After all, both fighters have been doing this for a long time and both have the confidence that they can control the tempo and pace of this tilt. However, the caliber of opponent here is important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sure, Andrade is 28-0 but who has he fought? The majority of boxing bettors wouldn\u2019t recognize any of the names on his resume. As for Alvarez, he\u2019s had wars with Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, James Kirkland, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Daniel Jacobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Andrade looks like a guy who has all of the tools to dictate the pace once they get inside the ring but we\u2019ve just never seen him do it against someone elite. This could be the first time that happens but I wouldn\u2019t bank on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n