Canelo vs. Angulo airs this Saturday (March 8) on Showtime pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET.
Under most circumstances, it is not in a boxer’s best interest to go “toe to toe” with an opponent. In a sport where the object is to “hit and not get hit,” standing in front of your opponent and trading concussive blows is literally flirting with physical and fiscal disaster. And yet, there are a select few that not only live this boxing mini-game of Russian Roulette, but excel at it.
Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo is one of those fighters. He is equally brutal in victory as he is in the defeat. It was the latter, a vicious battle with Erislandy Lara, that has earned Angulo his first pay-per-view opportunity, a March 8 all-Mexican showdown against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. And while Canelo is the star attraction of this contest, Angulo explains toKnockout Nation how he’s learned a few new tricks to possibly score the first major boxing upset of 2013.
Knockout Nation: Although you consider the ending on your exciting fight with Erislandy Lara a fluke because of the eye injury, you can’t deny that you were taking flush left hands on the area from the opening bell. What have you done in this camp to address your defensive holes?
Angulo: Yes, my coach Virgil Hunter has tried to make sure that I’m ready for different things and attacks. I fought fighters like Lara who are incredibly talented. But my style is always to come in and fight. That’s why the fans like me, because I bring the fight to people. There are many ways you can fight. You can even fight in the ring and still avoid the actual fight. That’s not my style and that’s why the fans want to see me fight.
Knockout Nation: Getting hit in boxing is inevitable, but the very nature of the Sweet Science is to “hit and not get hit.” With that said, how accurate do you feel promotion’s “Toe to Toe” tagline is compared to how you expect the fight to go?
Angulo: I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not, but this is what the fans want. They know I’m prepared to fight. I don’t know if that will work for my opponent. I prepared to bring a real fight.
For The Rest Of The Interview, Go To KnockoutNation.com.