PHOTO: AFP
NEW YORK: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez aims to cement his place in the pantheon of Mexican boxing greats on Saturday when he steps up a division to face British world super-middleweight champion Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden.
Alvarez, who won his rematch with Gennady Golovkin in September to claim ownership of the middleweight division, has wasted no time in climbing back into the ring.
This time though the 28-year-old is moving up a weight category to super-middleweight to face Fielding, who is making the first defence of the WBA crown he won with a fifth-round stoppage of Germany's Tyron Zeuge in July.
Alvarez, who looks to have bulked up noticeably in recent videos and photos of his training camp posted on social media, hopes a victory on Saturday will enhance his claims to be considered one of Mexican boxing's greatest fighters.
A win would see him join the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez as Mexican fighters who have won belts in at least three different weight categories.
Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 knockouts) is framing Saturday's fight as a chance to "make history."
"I know it's going to be a tough fight but I like the challenges and we're prepared to make history," said Alvarez, who defeated middleweight rival Golovkin by a controversial majority decision in September.
"Maybe many do not give Rocky Fielding the credit he deserves but for something he's a world champion, I know the risk I have in front of me, I prepared myself very strong as always," Alvarez added.
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