When Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez announced the first opponent of his blockbuster 11-fight, $365m contract with upstart streaming service DAZN, the collective reaction from the general public was unanimous: Who?
Few beyond dedicated boxing fans were familiar with Rocky Fielding, the lesser of the two super middleweight champions recognized by the World Boxing Association, the sanctioning body that hands out belts seemingly at will and has done more to cheapen the currency of a world title than any one factor (and it is a high bar).
Even fewer will give the 31-year-old Liverpudlian a chance on Saturday night when he climbs through the ropes at Madison Square Garden to face Álvarez, the unified middleweight champion fresh off a signature win in an epic sequel with Gennady Golovkin less than three months ago.
On paper it is an opportunity for Álvarez, the sport’s biggest star, to move up to super middleweight and earn a title in a third weight class while fighting for the first time in the media capital of the world. In reality it is a showcase with Fielding as the presumptive soft touch, handpicked to make DAZN’s newly minted poster boy look good, lending the entire affair the feel of a promotional appearance and brand-building exercise more than a legitimate world title contest.
That is more a testament to the Mexican’s rare vintage than a slight to Fielding, the amiable scouser who has rebuilt admirably with six wins in a row from the wreckage of a first-round knockout loss to Callum Smith (the WBA’s true champion at 168lbs). Fielding earned his seat at Saturday’s table with a fifth-round upset of Germany’s Tyron Zeuge on five weeks’ notice for the organization’s so-called regular title in July.
But make no mistake: Fielding is a domestic-level champion being thrown in at the deep end with a two-division world title-holder, surefire Hall of Famer and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. He may not be a million-to-one shot like the celluloid brawler his nickname evokes, but against the classy Álvarez the task will be no less daunting.
Cynical as the framing may be, it was difficult to not feel happy for Fielding before Thursday’s final press conference as he reflected on his improbable journey: the amateur background he described as “average”, the professional debut at a leisure center in front of 500 people with no promotional backing, the afternoons spent hawking tickets in shopping centre car parks for his own fights. And now this.
Only a few months ago Fielding had been looking forward to potential defenses against either James DeGale or Chris Eubank Jr when he received a life-changing phone call as he was putting his then-one-month-old daughter to bed.
“My phone rings and [trainer Jamie Moore] says: ‘Canelo wants to fight you,’” he recalled. “I didn’t even ask how much it was. Canelo wants to fight you? OK. What a challenge that is. I’m a fighter. I don’t say no to fights.”
Fielding admitted he has been keenly aware of the perception surrounding his role: that of a well-compensated walkover in DAZN’s glossy subscription drive. But he insisted that no amount of negative chatter will deter him from Saturday’s golden opportunity.
“In the past I might have been bitter,” he said. “But I’ve worked so hard and here I am: main event at Madison Square Garden. I’ve got two children and they’re who I’m doing it for. [It’s] for family and myself and the challenge.”
And a challenge it will surely be. The redhead from Guadalajara, who had two stints as a junior middleweight title-holder before climbing to middleweight, has not officially lost a fight since a majority-decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather when he was 23, even if many believe Golovkin was the true winner of last year’s first instalment, which ended in a highly disputed split draw.
The rangy Fielding, at 6ft 1in and 12st, is the naturally bigger man and the five-inch advantages in height and reach were laid bare when the fighters posed for a photo op at Thursday’s press conference. His chances at springing the upset will depend almost entirely on whether he can press those physical advantages.
It will be a tall ask against Álvarez, whose blend of hand speed, punch variety and a slick defense that flows from deft footwork to superior upper body movement is enhanced by an adaptability and ring intelligence that featured prominently in both Golovkin fights.
“There’s not many mistakes he makes,” Fielding said. “He’s a complete fighter. He’s experienced. He’s been at the highest level and fought the top fighters. But you’ve got to start somewhere. He started with Mayweather and he’s gone from there. I’m starting with him and hopefully I’ll capitalize on it.”
Álvarez, speaking through a translator, hit his marks and said all the right things on Thursday. That Fielding is champion for a reason. That his opponent is not getting the credit he deserves. That boxing is the sport where you can least afford to be overconfident because one punch can change everything.
So far it has all gone to script. Now it is on Fielding to pen a rewrite for the ages.