By Norm Frauenheim
LAS VEGAS – They were in the same room for the first time in months. They sat at the same long table, separated by a pulpit that on this day was missing a bully. They could hear each other. But they didn’t look at each other. Not once.
Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin avoided eye contact on an occasion usually set aside for the first of at least two ritual stare downs staged for cameras and often measured as an early sign of who might have an edge in the hostility that awaits. To blink or look away first is said to be symptomatic of intimidation.
But Alvarez and Golovkin weren’t giving away much of anything Wednesday throughout a formal news conference at MGM Grand’s KA Theatre. Golovkin entered first. Then, Canelo. But they stayed on their side of the room, one predator seemingly wary of the other just days before their middleweight rematch Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in an HBO pay-per-view bout. In the end, there was no stare down, a rare departure from a story line as old as worn canvas and sagging ropes.
Depending on the source, there was no stare down Wednesday – and there might be one Friday at the weigh-in — because Canelo is still angry at insults hurled at him from a GGG corner led by trainer Abel Sanchez, who mocked him for a positive drug test in February and his safety-first style in a controversial draw last year.
There’s all kind of garden-variety psychology about who Sanchez is trying to provoke and why. There’s one theory that he wants to enrage Canelo enough to lure him into firefight of an exchange in the early rounds. But there’s no real sign that Canelo will take the bait
“I’m a fighter who thinks in the ring,’’ Canelo said without any edge in his voice during media round table before the formal news conference. “I know I can win fighting in any style.’’
Sanchez, however, argues that the fans expected more aggressiveness from Canelo last September. There were scattered boos a year ago because Canelo didn’t fight in the so-called Mexican-style. Since then, there have been signs of ambivalence among some of Canelo’s Mexican fans. There’s one way to win back their undivided loyalty, says Sanchez, and that’s to fight with the go-for-broke aggressiveness that has identified so many of Mexico’s greatest fighters.
But Canelo has own answer for that one.
“Anyone can support who they want, but authentic Mexicans will support the Mexican,’’ said Canelo, who is confident he will still be the favorite against the reigning champion, GGG, a Kazakh.
Yet, on the betting board late Wednesday GGG was a slight favorite at about 9-5 odds. There are still unanswered questions about how Canelo will react to a controversial suspension for clenbuterol, a steroid he says he ingested from eating tainted Mexican beef. Not everybody believes him, hence there are inevitable questions about a Canelo who appears to be slimmer than he was last September. Canelo addressed that one by suggesting that a slimmer body is quicker one.
“Speed is always important, especially when you are in there against a slow fighter like Golovkin,’’ Canelo said in what could be viewed as a comment intended to defy Sanchez’ attempt to lure him into a brawl.
All of it has made the rematch a guessing game between a couple of corners that evidently don’t like each other. At the news conference, Canelo, trainer Eddy Reynoso and manager Chepo Reynoso sat stone faced when GGG and Sanchez were introduced. The crowd applauded; they didn’t.
“Much has been said,’’ Chepo Reynoso said. “But in the ring, the truth will come out.’’
Only then, perhaps, Canelo and GGG can look safely into each other eyes.
