Canelo Alvarez vs Daniel Jacobs preview: Two of the very best meet in would-be classic

One of the biggest fights of the year to date takes place tonight in Las Vegas as the phenomenal Canelo Alvarez defends his middleweight world titles against the miracle man Daniel Jacobs. A bout that was threatening to dip under the radar exploded into life at the weigh-ins as both men clashed on the scales, with each seeking a huge victory that will define their careers in different ways.

For many, especially the vast fighting audience in his native Mexico, Canelo is the epitome of mainstream boxing right now. With the exception of Anthony Joshua, he’s the one boxer whose fights guarantee massive revenue whoever the opponent is. When Alvarez fights, the sports world know all about it, and he’s given the public countless hours of entertainment throughout his career.

This is the man who made his professional debut at 15, who has 51 victories by the age of 28. The records are astounding for a man still so young. First world title at 21, a three-weight world champion across multiple organisations. Hell, his lone loss came against Floyd Mayweather, a fight the Mexican took when he was just 23-years-old. If you’re looking for a modern day phenom, you’re looking at Canelo, an exciting, good-looking, modern-day superhero who frequently takes on the best whenever he can.

So why haven’t all fans warmed to the cinnamon-haired supremo? There’s a few reasons. Firstly, the cheating. In 2018, Alvarez failed two tests for performance enhancing drugs. The news was surprising, as drug test failures at the highest level are extremely rare, especially for a well looked after star like Canelo. While he blamed the test results on contaminated meat, the damage had been done, especially after the paltry six-month suspension he was given.

This air of protection is the second reason why he hasn’t become the universally-loved fighter he once had the potential to be. Whether through coincidence or something more cynical, there has always been the idea of Canelo being favoured by boxing big-shots. You only have to look back at his brace of classic bouts with Gennady Golovkin to believe that suspicious love has been wrapped around Alvarez like an over-eager stepmother.

The first Alvarez/Golovkin fight in 2017 was heavily hyped, and both men could realistically believe they had won. Alvarez started and ended the fight well, but the metronome pressure of Golovkin dominated the middle stages of the fight. When the final result was announced, and the scorecards were revealed, both men shook their heads in disbelief believing they had won. Many in the boxing world believed that Golovkin had just edged it, and that the split draw result was a polite way for the judges to keep Alvarez - and his handlers - happy.

In fight two, the results became even more conflicted. Once again, the result was contentious, with Alvarez chosen as the winner on two scorecards, with the third judge scoring the bout a draw. Many fans, both casual and more involved became irate. Undeterred, Alvarez returned to the ring just months later at the end of 2018 when he destroyed Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding to claim his first world title at super middleweight.

Given his successful, but dubious recent years, it would be difficult for Canelo to be the good guy against anybody tonight, and Danny Jacobs is perhaps the worst person for Alvarez to be the hero against. 35-2 across a 12-year professional career, Jacobs was an amateur sensation who was touted as one of America’s greatest prospects, before a brutal stoppage defeat to Dmitry Pirog in 2010. While that knockout was an emphatic end to his undefeated streak, his entire life became precarious a year later after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer.

The disease was eventually beaten, but few believed Jacobs would ever return to the sport, let alone become a world champion. Boxers are made of a spirit seen in few other disciplines however, and bit-by-bit Jacobs returned to fitness, the gym, and then the ring. From struggling in a wheelchair, Jacobs engaged in a huge KO spree upon his comeback and become middleweight champion three years later.

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Victory after victory confirmed a deserved reputation as one of the best middleweights on the planet, before Jacobs put it all on the line against Gennady Golovkin in early 2017. Like Alvarez, Jacobs pushed Golovkin to the limit in one of the most competitive fights of that year, before losing narrowly on the scorecards as Golovkin took home a split decision victory.

In truth, Jacobs has never looked the same since that night where total glory seemed in his grasp. In his three fights since, Jacobs hasn’t been excellent or anywhere near his destructive best, and at 32, and with a tough career and a life-threatening illness in his past, there is a very real chance that this could be one major fight too many for him.

The romantic ideal is that there’s one final major moment in the Hollywood career of Jacobs. Alvarez isn’t a major scroundel, he’s probably a Dougray Scott level Bond-villain, but the idea of the man who has suffered through everything finally chopping down the great oak is one that will fill a lot of hearts tonight. It’s unlikely though.

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Alvarez seems completely composed at middleweight, both physically and mentally. He’s already proven he can take clean shots from the heaviest-hitters in the game over 12 rounds, while his own power and shot selection has improved immensely in recent years.

Jacobs has spite and plenty of skills of his own, but Alvarez is superior and looks the fresher and the meaner. The tension at the weigh-in was bizarre for a fight that’s been refreshingly free of needle, but in this sport, you never really know. That’s the beauty of boxing, you can look tough pushing and shoving but, in the ring, you can fold. Confidence, aggression, serenity - no pre-fight tactic is effective until it actually works.

Alvarez and Jacobs have over 85 fights between them and have both fought hundreds of rounds. Their combined history will tell you that tonight will be a classic, and that the maximum 48 minutes they share engaged in a fight tonight will prove if miracles really do happen, or if the reality of consistency wins out once again.