Nearly 15 months after his last fight, Eleider Alvarez (25-2, 13 KOs) will return to competition on May 5 at the Casino de Montreal, while rising in the weight category.
Alvarez, who will be 38 on April 8, will make his light heavyweight debut (200 lbs.) After spending his early professional career in light heavyweight (175 lbs.).
By his own admission, he spent an enormous amount of energy in preparation for his previous fights trying to drop 20-25 pounds to meet the limit.
What changed was I chose to fight for myself. After Marc Ramsay and a failed trial with Pedro Diaz (in Florida), I returned to Montreal where Stéphan Larouche agreed to give me another chance.Alvarez explained.
” He was very patient with me and I thank him for that. Now I am full time in the gym. I started again when he worked with Kim Clavel. I spent the first two weeks with the other coaches he made available to me. “
With his long absence and failed attempts to return to full-time training, many observers of the pugilistic scene were disturbed at the thought of seeing him again in the ring.
Both promoter Yvon Michel and trainer Stéphan Larouche clarified that they are just waiting for a real promise from Alvarez to accompany him in the re -launch of a career that has seen him succeed on the Olympic scene as well as with conquest professionals. of the WBO world title.
Asked about the dangers of dealing with boxers who are larger in size than him, Alvarez gave the somewhat laconic answer: I know that, but if I don’t try, I won’t know the answer.
The condition that must be fulfilled
Larouche is more engaged in his response to defend his new protégé.
” I think he needs that break. When you study his final years, he spent his weight training camps. He never had a chance to spend a week or two at the same weight working on boxing skills, rehearsing moves. Over the years, the battle to gain weight has been very difficult. “
Ultimately, Yvon Michel insisted that this change of weight class was one of the conditions presented to Eleider Alvarez to revive his career.
With light heavyweights, I think the risk is greater. In recent months, I have seen him find it difficult to walk to gain level in major battles. And despite that, he delivered a good performancehis confession.
For Eleider, it’s less dangerous to prepare hard to fight big men than to try to lower his weight to fight opponents in super shape.
Michel concludes by recalling that we see older boxers climb into the above category, but we never see them descend again.
He cited as examples Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Saul Canello Alvarez. The latter is resistant to light heavyweight, considering trying his luck at light heavyweight, but never going back to 160 lbs because he knew it would be very difficult.
We do not yet know the identity of the next opponent. One thing is certain, Alvarez will have to fight men with more impressive natural proportions.
The new Alvarez clan (new manager, new trainer) hopes the boxer’s speed will still allow him to perform well.
Still under a two -year contract with Yvon Michel Group (GYM), Alvarez makes sure he won’t stretch the sauce in case it fails. He will star in the final of the night of May 5, the fifth organized by the promoter since the beginning of the year.
The card will feature a maximum of six fights and also includes Mathieu Germain (20-2-1, 9 KOs) and Mazlum Akdeniz (16-0, 8 KOs).
Source: Radio-Canada
