I CAN imagine Canelo Alvarez bellowing Jack the Giant Killer’s old rhyme “Fie, fih, foh, fum I smell the blood of an Englishman” like a panto villain.
The undisputed pound-for-pound greatest fighter on the planet faces Scouser Callum Smith for his WBA world super-middleweight title.
Callum Smith faces the ultimate test against Canelo AlvarezCredit: Ed Mulholland/matchroom.
And the vacant WBC crown is also at stake deep in the heart of Texas on Saturday night.
Four-weight world champion Alvarez loves gobbling up men who carry the flag of St George into battle — he has already hungrily devoured five of them.
Matthew Hatton, Ricky’s brother, was first nine years ago. Yet he at least survived 12 rounds before losing a unanimous points decision.
Since then Ryan Rhodes, Amir Khan, Liam Smith — Callum’s brother — and Rocky Fielding were all KO’d.
Smith is unbeaten in 27 fights and with 19 knockouts.
But to use an old Muhammad Ali line, he only has two chances against the Mexican — slim and none, and slim’s left town.
Trying to win when you are thousands of miles away on a foreign field is always daunting.
Terry Lawless, when he was churning out world, European and British champions from his Canning Town gym, used to be paranoid whenever any of his lads had to travel.
He believed for a fighter’s mental well-being, nothing can compare to home comforts.
Smith certainly hasn’t done himself any favours by agreeing to go abroad to meet the best of the best with a month to prepare.
He won’t get any help from ringside officials and will be in front of 12,000 hostile Latino fans who are allowed into San Antonio’s Alamodome Arena.
Smith faces a huge challenge to upset the favourite in TexasCredit: Ed Mulholland/matchroom.
It’s not unknown for British fighters to return from America having won world championships.
Alan Minter, Kell Brook and Tyson Fury beat the odds — but they were all considered to be in with a shout.
Alvarez is a 1-5 favourite. If Smith delivers an upset it would rightly be hailed as the most astounding British boxing away win since World War II.
The trio who have vied for that honour — and you can take your pick who deserves to top the podium — are Ken Buchanan, John H Stracey and Lloyd Honeyghan.
They were selected as they were expected to be easy touches for the local heroes.
Fifty years ago Buchanan was sent to Puerto Rico’s San Juan to fight Ismael Laguna for the WBA lightweight title in the middle of the afternoon in a baseball stadium.
With temperatures passing 100 degrees, locals thought the Edinburgh man, whose skin was as white as snow, would simply melt.
But Buchanan boxed brilliantly and, at the end of the 15 rounds, got a shock split points decision.
Five years later Stracey went to challenge Jose Napoles — who hadn’t been beaten for five years — in front of 40,000 belligerents in a Mexico City bullring.
Dropped in the first round, Stracey recovered to batter Napoles to a six-round defeat and fly back to Bethnal Green with the WBC world welterweight title.
Honeyghan, 34 years ago, took on Don Curry — judged to be the pound-for-pound best of his era — in Atlantic City for his WBA, IBF and WBC welterweight titles.
Curry got such a hammering that he retired on his stool at the end of the sixth round with a broken nose, broken heart and a cut that needed 20 stitches.
Because of his size, boxing brain and powerful right hand, Smith can give Alvarez trouble. He will certainly have his respect.
But I’m afraid the most Callum can hope for is he’s still standing at the final bell.
Callum Smith towers over Canelo Alvarez in Texas for world title clash
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
