Canelo Alvarez set for 'dangerous' fight against James Kirkland

HOUSTON - James Kirkland generates fear inside the ring.

He is the kind of massive, ferocious puncher who can flatten an opponent inside of two rounds, and often has in a career that's been as puzzling as it has been successful.

Canelo Alvarez is not afraid.

Alvarez, 24, whose only career loss came against Floyd Mayweather in 2013 that cost him his super welterweight title belts, will step into the ring for the first time in 10 months on Saturday night (HBO, 9 p.m. ET), and he will be staring across the ring at Kirkland, who has been away even longer, having missed all of 2014 and is fighting for the first time in 17 months.

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So why come back against someone as unpredictable as Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs), a knockout machine who hunts people down in the ring, but also was knocked down three times and finally out in the first round by light-hitting Nobuhiro Ishida in 2011?

"That's the kind of fight I like," Alvarez (44-1-1, 34 KOs) said during Thursday's final news conference. "I like the dangerous fights. I want to be satisfied with my career and be satisfied with me personally and that's the kind of fight the fans want to see.

"He's a very strong opponent, he's a very aggressive opponent. That's the kind of fights I like and that's what I prepared for. And I'm very happy that the fans are going to enjoy this fight."

Alvarez has been fighting professionally since he was 15, which accounts for the high number of fights at a young age. He is ready for the next stage of his career, and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions is pushing for him to be the sport's next big star.

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Saturday's fight will be the first boxing event at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, with a crowd of about 35,000 expected. Alvarez has a huge Mexican-American following in Texas, and Kirkland is from Austin. Everyone in the stadium will have a rooting interest.

"Yes, it's the first time there's boxing in the stadium, and it's with me," Alvarez said. "I feel very at home and happy that the fans have received me, a lot of Mexican fans. "

De La Hoya expressed concern for his fighter against a slugger like Kirkland, who has been jailed several times in the past, most recently in June 2013, for assault. He was discovered by trainer "Pops" Billingsley while living in an abandoned house in Austin.

"Oh yes, nothing is a sure thing until that final bell rings," De La Hoya told Paste BN Sports on Thursday. "Especially with a puncher like Kirkland. He's wanted this fight for so long. He's motivated. He's been in the gym. I saw him a couple of months ago and he's already in shape. It worries me a lot. He's got a puncher's chance. At the same time, I have a smirk on my face because it's going to be a fun fight."

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Kirkland's promoter, Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, said he does not see the non-title fight at a catchweight of 155 pounds going 12 rounds. And for his fighter, this could be a career-changing fight or a career disappointment.

"Everything is on the line with him," Jackson said. "The caliber of fighter Canelo is, and the audience and the people already around him, you win that and you take some of those people home with you, and the fans. There's everything to gain in this fight for Kirkland.

"This is THE fight for him. You got to show up or you got to shut up. Because people don't want to hear what you're saying anymore after because he gave you the opportunity at this point."

Kirkland has not fought since stopping up-and-coming Glen Tapia in December 2013, not because of injury, just inactivity. Jackson said Kirkland's mind-set for this fight is that he wants it more than any other in his career.

"I mean, James is a killer. He got some of those same things as Mike (Tyson) had," Jackson said. "So if it's not boxing, it could be armed robbery."

Yet the line of the final news conference came out of the mouth of future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, part owner of Golden Boy Promotions, with reference to the Manny Pacquiao injury controversy.

Hopkins walked to the podium and asked Alvarez if he was heathy. "Yes," Canelo answered.

Then he asked Kirkland if he was healthy. "Yes," Kirkland answered.

"OK, fight's on," Hopkins said, in by far the shortest speech of his career.