Canelo Alvarez vs. Rocky Fielding preview/prediction

NEW YORK — In 2001, Diego Corrales was one of the most fearsome fighters in the world. He held the IBF junior lightweight title and at nearly 5-11 with a 70-inch reach, he was unusually tall and gangly for the division. He used those long arms and legs for leverage, and was able to generate tremendous power as a result. Corrales had scored 27 knockouts in 33 bouts, all of which were wins, heading into 2001.

When he met Floyd Mayweather on Jan. 20 that year at the MGM Grand in a unification fight, the fight was viewed as a toss-up by many, pitting Corrales’ height and punching power against Mayweather’s defensive skills and ring awareness.

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Mayweather, though, saw no such threat.

“All straight up and down. No special effects,” was Mayweather’s assessment of Corrales.

Mayweather proved to be right, as he knocked Corrales down five times and stopped him in the 10th round of a virtuoso performance, perhaps the best of his legendary career.

Mayweather’s words come to mind when watching Rocky Fielding, the WBA super middleweight champion, fight: All straight up and down. No special effects.

Fielding will defend his title Saturday in the main event of a card at Madison Square Garden against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Alvarez is the WBA-WBC middleweight champion, at worst one of the 10 best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and more likely one of the top five. He’s also a 20-1 favorite to defeat Fielding and claim the title.

Alvarez is coming off an impressive victory over Gennady Golovkin to win the titles, and Golovkin was a far more fearsome opponent than Fielding could hope to be. The only advantage Fielding has is the five extra inches of reach.

But given the vast difference in physical skills, Fielding’s chances of winning dwindle to two points: Catching Alvarez with something he doesn’t see, or getting the Mexican superstar on a night when he’s looking down the line.

Neither is all that likely. Fielding works behind the jab and throws a basic, and certainly not overpowering, right hand. His footwork is average at best and he’s not in, say, Mayweather’s league as a defensive fighter.

Alvarez should be able to figure him out and set him up before much time has elapsed in the fight.

The bout, though, is the biggest of Fielding’s career, and it won’t be anything near that to Alvarez. It has happened more than once in boxing history that a fighter believes he’s in a tune-up, looks down the road and gets beaten by a lesser opponent.

If you’re looking to build a case for Fielding, this is where you start. Alvarez’s motivation to be at his best must come from within, because Golden Boy Promotions insists his $365 million contract with streaming service DAZN is fully guaranteed.

That would be an inconceivably bad bet on DAZN’s part not to put some protections in the contract, because anything can happen in boxing. All it takes is one punch, or an off-night from the judges, and that “sure thing” goes down.

But if, in fact, Golden Boy is telling the truth and Alvarez’s deal is fully guaranteed, would that then not at least make it possible that Alvarez isn’t fully engaged for a seemingly lesser opponent like Fielding? If he just has to show up to collect that $365 million, it’s one of the great sweetheart deals in sports history.

Alvarez is a true professional, and in 53 starts, his only loss came to Mayweather. He hasn’t had a night yet when he’s failed to prepare or has looked down the road.

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