Canelo-Lopez, Chavez Jr-Martinez

Today will mark the biggest weekend of boxing that doesn’t involve Manny Pacquiao. At noon today, the two biggest Mexican stars take on different opponents in time for the celebration of Mexico’s Independence Day. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defends his WBC light middleweight championship against upset-seeking Josesito Lopez, while Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. meets Sergio Martinez in a WBC world middleweight title fight. Ironically, both events take place on the same day but blocks away from each other in separate venues in Las Vegas.

Boxing analysts are one in saying that Chavez Jr. has the more difficult opponent in Martinez. A proven warrior who has faced the best and who has in fact lost twice in the past, Martinez is at the peak of his career and has been longing for that one big fight that will cement his status as one of the world’s best pound-for-pound. Ironically, Martinez broke into the boxing limelight after a loss and a win in 2010. He lost to Paul Williams via a majority decision in a tremendous fight that saw both sides give their all and which drew the praises from the boxing world. Despite the loss, Martinez got the call to challenge Kelly Pavlik for the WBC middleweight title, and he didn’t disappoint, carving out a convincing unanimous decision win over the favored Pavlik. Martinez would knock Williams out in a rematch after the Pavlik fight, and it’s been smooth sailing for the Argentine who had always prayed for a fight with JCC Jr. but never got it, until now.

On the other hand, Chavez Jr. is known more for being the son of legend Julio Cesar Sr. Although undefeated, many say that he’s still an untested boxer, having fought opponents who were carefully selected to make him look good. The biggest names he has fought are the likes of Andy Lee, Marco Antonio, Rubio Peter Manfredo Jr, and Sebastian Zbik. If you don’t know any of them, then you’ll see what I mean. The irony now is that JCC Jr. could be going into the ring as an underdog for the first time in his career. The big question is whether or not he can finally step out of his father’s illustrious shadow. And he might have picked the wrong fighter to protect his undefeated streak. But then again, it was only a matter of time before he had to face Martinez who is recognized as the WBC Diamond middleweight champion, while Chavez is the WBC middleweight champ. He can’t go on forever fighting “C” level fighters who are out of his class. Martinez will come out on top if he can land his left hand, and bump and weave away from JCC’s punches. Chavez will be the boxer of the two and will have to be patient especially when dealing with Martinez as a moving target who likes to go side to side with sudden lunges of his left straight.

Canelo Alvarez is another Mexican who is being brought up right alongside JCC Jr., but with a different promoter. Also undefeated, his list of opponents isn’t exactly one to marvel at, but he has done his job of winning and looking good. He won the WBC light middleweight title with a unanimous decision win over Matthew Hatton and has trounced a host of boxers who were better known for their past, not their present. But that’s the way boxing goes. Canelo has looked good winning all these fights and now faces a “surprise” package in Lopez. Lopez wasn’t supposed to be there at all. Golden Boy Promotions was pushing for a Canelo Lopez-Victor Ortiz fight, but Lopez trashed the script when he won by TKO over Ortiz. On record, Lopez doesn’t look good with four losses across his name, including one to prospect Jessie Vargas in his fight before Ortiz. But again, that’s boxing and second chances don’t come too often, do they? Even if he’s moving up in weight to face Canelo, Lopez is just relishing the moment to go face to face with one of Mexico’s poster boys of boxing. His best chance of winning is to smother and outpunch Canelo. Note that Lopez isn’t a technically-gifted boxer. He just throws punches in bunches and never seems to slow down. Canelo’s boxing skills will have to shine in order to thwart Lopez’s flurries.

At the end of the day, we’ll find out if the two poster boys of Mexican boxing are legitimate world champions. Or were they just that: champions on paper?