The sun beat down on the plaza outside the T-Mobile and hordes of fight fans congregated to see the ceremonial weigh-in between Canelo Alvarez and Jermell Charlo ahead of their fight in Las Vegas tomorrow.
The heat was suffocating. Canelo showed up in a pair of yellow silk pyjamas and following the “weigh-in” the fighters shared a head-to-head, soaked in the applause from the crown and turned their attentions to the fight.
Super-middleweight king Canelo, 167 1/2, thanked the fans for coming out and looked genuinely happy, whether it was the occasion or the fact he had made weight having officially weighed in hours earlier.
“It means a lot to be here with all of you and I’m proud to be here and I hope it’s a great fight,” said Canelo, who Charlo is leaping up two weight classes to fight.
“The size is not a factor, I feel good. It’s going to be a great fight.”
Charlo, the undisputed champion at 154, also weighed 167 1/2lbs.
“It’s time to fight,” he snarled. “Let’s get ready. Lions only. I’m a bad motherfucker. Their going to be saying Charlo is a bad motherfucker on Sunday morning. That’s what’s up.”
The main eventers were the last ones on stage today.
Prior to them appearing, Jesus Ramos, the 20-0 (16) super-welterweight from Arizona who is in against his toughest opponent to date in Erickson Lubin, pledged to put on a show.
“It’s a great fight, he’s a great fighter and it’s a great event,” said Ramos. “There’s magic here.”
Lubin, 25-2, promised to come out victorious and said he was ready to go.
The day before the fight is only a time for soundbites, not life stories, so the final statements were kept respectfully brief.
Welterweight contender Yordenis Ugas, 27-5, said his wounds – an orbital fracture – from his last contest with Errol Spence more than a year ago, had fully healed and that fans could expect to see him in a “great fight” against Texan Mario Barrios.
“I’m going to give it everything and take that belt back to San Antonio,” pledged Barrios.
There is also a 10-rounder at middleweight that features Elijah Garcia, 15-0 (10), and Mexican Armando Resendiz. The latter said people should “expect the version of me” and that he is “really excited to be out.”
Garcia, conversely, said he was “on another level,” to the 14-1 Resendiz.
