Unified middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez looks to win a title in a third different weight class Saturday night when he takes on Rocky Fielding in his Madison Square Garden debut.
Although most big fights take place in Las Vegas, Madison Square Garden will always be the Mecca of boxing. It’s the place where Muhammad Ali faced Joe Frazier in 1971 for the first time in their epic rivalry. Since then, some of the biggest names in boxing history have made it a priority to fight at MSG at least once in their career.
On Saturday night the biggest star in boxing, and the WBC and WBA middleweight champion, Canelo Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) will make his Madison Square Garden debut as he moves up in weight to challenge the WBA super middleweight champion Rocky Fielding (27-1, 15 KOs).
The event will stream exclusively on DAZN, with coverage beginning at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT and the main card starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Alvarez is coming off the biggest win of his career when he defeated Gennady Golovkin in May by majority decision to become the unified middleweight champion.
Now he is looking to become a three division champion and enhance his legacy by fighting at a place he’s always dreamt about fighting at.
“I’m very happy to be here at Madison Square Garden. It’s just yet another story, another dream realized in my career and this new phase of my career with DAZN. I’m very happy and I’m motivated. Perhaps many don’t give the credit to Rocky Fielding that he deserves but for a reason, he’s a world champion. I know who he is, I’ve trained very hard, I know the challenge I have in front of me. I know that I have a tough fight but I like challenges and I know we’re going to make history. I’m ready for that.”
This is also the first fight of Alvarez’s record-shattering, five-year, 11-fight, $365 million deal with DAZN he signed in October.
Alvarez is one of the best and most entertaining fighters in the sport, and he is expected to win easily on Saturday night. But his opponent, who became champion in July when he knocked out Tyron Zeuge in fight rounds, also relishes the opportunity to fight at MSG and is confident heading into Saturday night.
.@Canelo and @Rocky87Fielding clash tomorrow night to determine who will be the Super Middleweight World Champion LIVE on the big screen, where every seat is a ringside seat! Get your tickets today! https://t.co/Xqu8b1e1IJ pic.twitter.com/QIf7KiXhm7
— Golden Boy (@GoldenBoyBoxing) December 15, 2018
“It’s great to be here. I was here years ago, sitting right at the top over there, watching a Knicks game, wishing one day to fight here. Now I’ve put a lot of work in, I’ve had a lot of setbacks, and here we are. It’s unbelievable. I’m looking forward to it.”
“I believe in myself. I come here as a champion, and that’s what champions do – they win, and they defend. This is a great opportunity and I’m very happy to be here.”
At Friday’s weigh in, both fighters were in tip top shape as both weighed in under the super middleweight limit of 168 pounds (Alvarez 167.4), (Fielding 167.6).
If Alvarez wins, it’s rumored that he will go back down to 160 pounds and have a third fight with Golovkin in May. But first he will need to take care of business on Saturday as he looks to make a lasting impression on the fans at MSG.
