The build-up to this Canelo fight feels different

Canelo Alvarez is on a quest to become a four-division world champion as he makes his light heavyweight debut this Saturday night against Sergey Kovalev. While the build-up for the fight is there, it just feels like it’s missing something and it’s amazing cause it has all the elements of what a pardon the pun “Big Fight Weekend” matchup should have.

No, seriously. There is a bizarre air being breathed into this matchup Saturday that really has all of the intrigues of what makes boxing the spectacle that it is.

First off, you have controversy. That kicked off during the middle of the week when Mike Coppinger of The Athletic dropped a jewel of the strained relationship between Canelo Alvarez and his promoter Oscar De La Hoya. That article played itself out in person when Alvarez went as far as to bring his own interpreter for press conferences. This frosty situation led to the media unable to really get any interviews with the fighters per tweet from Marco Villegas, working in Vegas for the week for FightHub TV.

This week hasn’t been the best for getting interviews. Fighters not wanting to do interviews. Part of the job man…

— Marcos Villegas (@heyitsmarcosv) October 31, 2019

That scenario above, however, has swept up another issue that may have led to the media not being able to ask much from the fighters this weekend. Alvarez’s opponent, WBO Champion Kovalev is awaiting litigation for a felony assault from an incident on a plane back in July. Needless to say, he’s been quite about that this fight week.

A shame so much time was wasted by fight week media obsessing over Canelo/Oscar drama that they all forgot to ask about Kovalev's upcoming felony assault trial… or his fighting for the 4th time since his arrest on such charges. But, I get it. Priorities.

— Jake Donován (@JakeNDaBox) November 1, 2019

Friday afternoon was the weigh-in where even more drama was tried to conjure up. Alvarez made weight with no problem. Kovalev who stepped on the scale with jewelry on at 176 pounds was of course over the weight limit by a pound. Once he stripped down and came back on the scale, all was fine as he reached 175. Dan Rafael of ESPN reported the rehydration clause that seems to be found in Alvarez fights that both men can weight no more than 185 pounds at the day of weight in. The result of being over that weight limit is severe financial penalties which Kovalev slated to make at least 3 million dollars and climbing for the fight cannot afford.

It’s fun to note that the media in attendance also mentioned that this was the least attended weigh-in for an Alvarez fight. This also piggybacks the point that guest TC Martin said on the latest Big Fight Weekend Podcast with us about how Kovalev just isn’t a big draw in Las Vegas for these fights after his showing against Andre Ward. Having said that, it’s just a weigh-in and TC mentioned to us that it will be a pro-Canelo crowd that will be in attendance Saturday night.

Let’s hope this is all just the calm before the storm for what could be a historic matchup Saturday night.