‘Canelo’ Alvarez Focused on Liam Smith, Not Gennady Golovkin

Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is but a day away from his HBO Pay-Per-View showdown with the unbeaten Liam Smith, but he cannot seem to avoid questions about Gennady Golovkin.

Time and time again in the week leading up to his battle against Smith on Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Alvarez reiterated the importance of focusing on the task at hand. However, since Alvarez flattened Amir Khan and Golovkin blew away Dominic Wade and Kell Brook, the boxing world has been abuzz with talk of a potential mega fight between the two.

“I can’t keep fighting this fight [against Smith] thinking about Golovkin,” Alvarez said. “I’m preparing for Liam Smith. That’s what’s important to me. My train of thought is not to see what’s down the line. I’ve got to get ready for the fight. This is a real fight. I’m not the one that has to prepare for Golovkin. He better prepare for me.”

Much has been made about Golden Boy Promotions’ perceived reluctance to place Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) in Golovkin’s path (live odds), even as he challenges Smith for the WBO junior middleweight championship. The Brit just is not a well-known commodity in the United States.

“Look, whether people consider if he has a name or not, he’s still a very good fighter,” Alvarez said. “He’s a champion and he’s undefeated for the right reasons, so I’m preparing like I always do -- 100 percent. I’m getting ready for this fight. I’ll be prepared for everything. I just don’t want any surprises, but this is going to be a tough fight.”

Smith (23-0-1, 12 KOs) utilizes a fan-friendly style that should create plenty of heated exchanges with Alvarez. Constant pressure and relentlessness are hallmarks of his attack.

“I have looked at him, and the style more than anything is what we like,” Alvarez said. “He’s a good fighter; he’s a champion. He’s very strong. He’s got a Mexican style, you know, a guy that stands there and likes to exchange punches, so that’s one of the things that attracted us to the fight. I don’t think he’s going to change his style. I think he’s going to do what he does best -- be aggressive, throw combinations [and] keep coming forward, but obviously for me, I’m ready for any style. I prepare myself for any style and I’ll be ready for anything, so I’m preparing for the best possible Liam Smith there is.

“I’m going to go with my game plan,” he added. “He can go with his game plan, and may the better man win. Part of the reason for choosing him is he’s a world champion. I wanted to win another world title in my weight class, [at] 154 [pounds]. Then after that, we’ll see what’s available.”

Whether or not that comes in the form of a box-office blockbuster with Golovkin, perhaps in May, remains to be seen.