GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Hours before a scheduled weigh-in, outside a centuries old theatre in the heart of the city, hundreds of fans pressed against a hastily erected metal fence. A young boy held up a piece of pink posterboard with Gracias Canelo scribbled across it. Whenever a car pulled up familiar chants—Ca-nel-o, Ca-nel-o—would bubble up from the crowd. By midday temperatures approached 90. No one seemed to care.
They were there for Canelo Álvarez, the undisputed super middleweight champion who will defend his titles against John Ryder on Saturday. More than 50,000 fans are expected to stream into Estadio Akron, marking Álvarez’s first fight in Mexico in more than a decade.
The question is: Which version of Álvarez are they going to get?
