Staff Picks – Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara Predictions:
It’s fight week in Las Vegas, which means it’s time for our round up of big fight picks and predictions. Right here, the ProBoxing-Fans.com team chimes in with all of our Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy predictions, breaking down the fight and offering our views on how we believe it will go down. Who comes out ahead, and is there a consensus amongst our readers? Take a look here.
Jake Emen: Erislandy Lara absolutely has the style to give Canelo fits, and that’s why he’s such a trendy pick to take out the Mexican superstar in this bout. Yet, I think the differentiating factor between the two is the little bit extra which turns a very good fighter into a potentially great one. I’m concerned that Lara simply doesn’t have that, as he often has failed to cleanly separate himself from opposition in fights he should have been more dominant in. While he figured that out against Austin Trout in a breakout performance, he also showed vulnerability against Alfredo Angulo. Canelo has next-level stuff, and that small edge, whether you want to attribute it to fighter’s instinct or whatever else, nudges him ahead here. Still, he’ll lose rounds and this one may be disputed, at least by the other side.
Prediction: Canelo via Unanimous Decision
Scott Levinson: Behind moonlighting 154-pound champion Floyd Mayweather, Alvarez and Lara represent the clear two top contenders at the weight and whenever the number one and two guys fight, it’s a good thing for the sport. One potential factor being overlooked is that Canelo has yet to turn 24 yet. In other words, there is room for growth, whereas Lara is as good as he is going to get. Still, what Lara brings to the table might be enough. After all, Lara is a supremely-skilled and gifted southpaw with a wicked straight left and a full repertoire of moves. I think we saw some glimpses of Alvarez’ growth in the Angulo fight and the little layers of sophistication he is developing, along with his youthful energy, physical strength, and added experience will tip the scales in his favor. I like Alvarez to close the show late in a good fight.
Prediction: Canelo via TKO10
Rich Thomas: I have to admit some bias against Erislandy Lara. It’s not a strong bias, but I really don’t like brawling bad boys in boxing, and Lara hasn’t really learned his lesson. So when I look at this fight, what I see is a graceful Cuban speedster mixing it up with a tough, hard-hitting Mexican boxer-puncher. Lara has the edge in fleet feet, hand speed, and sneakiness, but not such a huge edge that Alvarez is going to be sitting there with no answers. That makes this Alvarez’s fight. But like I wrote before, I want Lara to lose, so my judgement may be impaired.
Prediction: Alvarez via clear UD
Blair Newman: I don’t expect this to be an exciting fight, but it will be a fascinating chess match. I see both men as equally powerful and technically adept, but I give Lara the advantage in hand speed. This, along with Lara’s awkward posturing, southpaw stance, defensive mentality and longer reach makes this arguably Alvarez’s most awkward task to date, and that includes his defeat to Floyd Mayweather. In order to beat Lara you must be able to apply constant, intelligent aggression. I do not see Canelo being able to do this successfully for 12 full rounds and hence I foresee a Lara victory on the cards. The only question then is this: will the judges see that too?
Prediction: Lara Split Decision
Matt Andrzejewski: A lot of people think that Lara has a difficult style for Canelo. I feel Canelo has a difficult style for Lara. Lara likes to dictate pace and tempo. However, when pressured by more aggressive fighters he has looked uncomfortable and has struggled. Canelo will bring the fight to Lara and make him feel uncomfortable from the opening bell. Canelo also has a very good straight right hand and left hook to the body. These are both punches the southpaw Lara has shown to be vulnerable in the past especially against orthodox fighters. I see Canelo breaking Lara down round by round and eventually doing enough damage to score a stoppage victory.
Prediction: Canelo TKO6
Steve Shumansky: While I applaud Alvarez for taking on Lara, I think this is a very dangerous fight for him. Lara is a superb boxer with great footwork and is clearly the superior ring tactician. Alvarez has the harder punch but Lara’s footwork and cagey boxing style will be very hard for him to solve. I’m sure Canelo will try to walk him down but I’m certain that he will be eating a lot of sharp left hands in the process. Alvarez does not have great foot speed and his straight ahead approach is tailor made for Lara. This match shapes up as a tactical fight that plays against Canelo’s power punching aggressive style. I do think that Canelo will have a few good moments in the fight since he does have good timing and will certainly have at least a few opportunities to close the distance on Lara. But this will not be nearly enough against a boxing master of the caliber of Lara, and I think this one goes the way of Lara vs.Trout.
Prediction: Lara via Unanimous Decision
Evan Smith: Erislandy Lara has a tremendous skill set as a fighter, with his blend of quick footwork and fast hands. He also has the ability to be incredibly elusive– something Alvarez struggled with against Floyd Mayweather. The emerging Mexican star seems to like fighters who come straightforward and slug it out. But Lara is the antithesis of that, as he remains a slick southpaw, who can be a hard target to find. Despite that, Lara can be caught, as we saw in the Angulo bout where he was dropped two times. And we know that Alvarez is a more talented fighter than Angulo. We also have to take into account that Lara’s chin might be a little bit suspect. With that in mind, I believe Alvarez will have the slight edge. I think Canelo will score one knockdown, and that could prove to be the difference, similarly to when Canelo fought Austin Trout. I surmise Canelo will try to cut off the ring and throw power shots, while Lara will use his sharp jab to keep his opponent off-balance in an effort to win rounds. I predict that it will be a close competitive fight, and ultimately, I see Alvarez pulling out a narrow split decision win.
Prediction: Alvarez via Split Decision
Jake Collins: This is a real tough one to call given that both are top tier fighters. Mayweather showed expertly how to handle the swarming inside fighter and Lara will have to be looking to do the same. Lara is an excellent technician and certainly has the skill to keep Canelo at bay, frustrating him and forcing errors along the way. It really could go either way, but I think Canelo will struggle to fight the type of fight he thrives in.
Prediction: Lara via Decision
Canelo vs. Lara Predictions – Final Tally:
- Canelo Alvarez: 5 (3 by decision, 2 by stoppage)
- Erislandy Lara: 3 (all by decision)
So, what do you think, fans? Be sure to chime in with your own Canelo vs. Lara picks and predictions below.
