By Rudy Mondragon

The episode kicks off with Canelo connecting with his daughter via FaceTime in Sunny San Diego. Fast forward and you have Canelo with his team working on simple sprints. It is a reminder of how important a boxer’s corner is. Does Canelo’s corner have what it takes to guide Canelo to victory against Angulo and beyond? If he is the superstar everyone says he is, they better!

Angulo’s relationship with his daughter is special. There are only two things that make El Perro cry: His daughter and his beloved fans. As I have mentioned before, a fighter’s kids can be one’s X-Factor. It’s the passion, motivation, inspiration, and dedication to the fight that a fighter’s children bring out in them. Angulo will not be fighting for himself this weekend, he will be fighting for his daughter and his fans, and he will defend himself at all cost. This is Angulo’s X-Factor.

Training camp for Canelo is unrevealing. Simple words are shared about how dangerous Angulo’s power is, and Canelo is shown punching and dodging bags. He finishes the day submerged in an ice bath to relax his muscles after a good day in the gym. The footage leaves us wondering if Canelo’s team is being innovative and taking the necessary risks to make the young man a better fighter.

Angulo’s camp is shown to be making the necessary adjustments and changes for this fight. Speed and better movement is what Virgil Hunter is looking for.  He has called upon the services of Russian speed coach, Remy Korchemny. Intentionality, what Virgil is doing is trying new things in an effort to make El Perro a better fighter for his Saturday bout against Canelo. Will it pay off? We’ll soon find out if the risk will bring out greatness in Angulo’s performance.

The episode concludes with the framing of this Saturday’s fight. Both fighters are coming off loses. For Canelo, it will be his first time coming back after a lose. I don’t see this as a comeback as, Canelo has not done much in boxing yet. Don’t let his 44 total fights fool you.

Angulo has been in this situation before. Coming back from a loss to James Kirkland and recently Erislandy Lara, Angulo needs this win because of what it means for his future. He is only making $750k for this fight. A win this weekend means upsetting the young celebrity that is Saul Alvarez. It means a possible rematch with Saul. It means future fights against other big names in the 154lbs division.

A win for Canelo means getting back on track to accomplishing the goals laid out by his promoters. More is at stake for Angulo because he is objectified in this fight. He is expected to be the exciting brawler who Canelo can beat. In beating a brawler, Canelo will be framed as a warrior who defeated the savage beast. The media and fans will eat it up. However, my gut tells me another ending is possible. As we prepare to watch an exciting fight (unfortunately it is on PPV), I leave the BMB Fam with this: The difference maker in this fight will be the fighter who has the most tenacity, durability, and desire to win. The corners will play a huge role as well. Enjoy BMB Fam!