The Legend That Doesn’t Want to Fight… With the Evidence
It seems that Saturday’s fight at Allegiant Stadium has achieved the unthinkable: that people, for once, disagree that the sun rises in the east and that Canelo wins by KO. The incredible, fantastic and never before seen phenomenon of divided opinions has arrived in boxing. And in the center of the hurricane, a man who has seen more combat than a front row couch: the newly minted Hall of Fame member, Kenny Bayless.
Bayless, who surely has more ring experience than all of us watching replays on YouTube combined, has had the audacity to not take the result for granted. Can you imagine? Someone who thinks before speaking. What a radical concept. After an illustrious career dictating orders like “whatever I say, you must obey“, he now dedicates himself to giving predictions that, surprise, are not unanimous. The world is no longer what it was.
The Forecast: A Coin toss or a Deep Analysis?
Good old Kenny, with the wisdom of 75 years and hundreds of witnessed knockouts, delighted us with a pearl of strategic analysis: his infallible method to predict the winner is tossing a coin in the air. No, it’s not a joke. After so much science, sweat and tears, the modern oracle chooses heads or tails. One would expect an AI algorithm or at least a reading of chicken entrails, but no, a simple coin. The elegance of simplicity.
After this very rigorous exercise of probability, the judge’s verdict is… both! Because, why take sides when you can play both sides? According to his impeccable logic, if the fight reaches the decision of the judges, the favorite will be the undefeated Terence Crawford. Come on, if he wins on points, Crawford wins. Take it now. And if it ends before, by technical knockout, the winner will be the Mexican. In other words, whoever wins, will win. Hadn’t they guessed?
But it’s not all cheap sarcasm. Bayless does get a little more wet when explaining his reasons, which are not few. He states that Crawford “moves well, has the ability to quickly change his stance from left to right, has great footwork.” Come on, he’s pretty good at boxing, from the looks of it. With such skills, if the American boxer can control the fight and score abundant points, he could win. Or what is the same: if you do more things right than wrong, you will win. A real revelation.
Canelo’s Power: The Unpredictable Variable
Of course, we cannot forget the other opponent, this Saúl Álvarez, who apparently also boxes. Bayless, in a burst of magnanimity, recognizes that Canelo’s power is the key for him. Here, of course it is. And he adds: “if Canelo can get Crawford into a position where he can hit him with his right hand, he can change the entire fight.” Another pearl of wisdom: if you hit it right, it will hurt. Who was going to say it?
In short, we have a legend of world boxing who, after 800 fights, enlightens us with the depth of a water polo match. His prediction comes down to the fact that the fastest and most technical will win on points, and the strongest and most powerful by KO. Thanks, Kenny. Without your help, we would all be lost, thinking that the one who danced the macarena best would win.
So now you know, this September 13, when you see these two titans of the ring, remember the expert’s advice: everything depends on a coin. Or a stroke of luck. Or who gets up with the best footing. Or what chance decides. Or whatever Bayless had for breakfast. Who knows. In the end, the only thing that is certain is that someone will win and someone will lose. And the fans, we will be left wanting a forecast that does not sound like a textbook of the obvious.
Do you share this vision or do you think the outcome will be different? Spread the controversy on your social networks and discover more analysis about this clash of titans in our special section.
