James Kirkland: No way Canelo Alvarez fight goes 12 rounds

James Kirkland was slated to face Canelo Alvarez in September 2012, but after suffering a shoulder injury the Mexican ultimately fought Josesito Lopez.

It may have been a blessing in disguise.

Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) is "happy that it took place now." He listed money ("it's more") and said it might even be better for Alvarez since he's had the chance to fight a number of southpaws.

They face off Saturday (9 p.m. ET) at Houston's Minute Maid Park - home of the Astros - at a catchweight of 155 pounds, and the event represents one of the best matchups on the HBO schedule. With their explosive punching power and penchant for in-fighting, this high-profile bout just might be the Chaser for the hangover surrounding boxing after the disappointment of Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiaio.

DANGEROUS FIGHT: Canelo Alvarez faces James Kirkland on Saturday

"Me and Alvarez know it's not going 12 rounds," Kirkland told Paste BN Sports on Wednesday. "… No one has ever got in the ring with me and went 12 straight rounds. … The fight will not go 12 rounds no matter the circumstance. And I'm definitely willing to back it. Kirkland is definitely in shape."

"The Mandingo Warrior" has, in fact, never gone the 12-round distance. Why would Saturday be any different? Critics have condemned his dismissal of longtime trainer Ann Wolfe and point to his lone career loss as proof. Kirkland did a one-off with renowned coach Kenny Adams for his 2011 bout with Nobuhiro Ishida, and it ended up garnering Upset of the Year honors from Ring Magazine. The light-hitting Japanese fighter dropped Kirkland three times in Round 1 en route to the TKO.

Kirkland says it's purely coincidence that he lost without Wolfe and alluded to problems in training camp with Adams. Wolfe is known for her taxing, military-style workouts, but Kirkland says a change was needed. The unheralded Rick Morones Jr. will be working the corner for the biggest fight of Kirkland's life.

"Everybody says (I can't win without Wolfe) because they don't know Kirkland. Because they don't know me. … If it's not hard I don't want it," declared Kirkland, who is signed to rapper 50 cent's SMS Promotions. "If it's not that Ann style or harder, I don't want it. Anything I did (in this camp) I either made it better or I made it harder. I don't want to sit back and relax and enjoy myself when I'm training."

While Wolfe's camps were taxing, they didn't necessarily concentrate on technique and strategy, a shift Kirkland hopes will pay dividends. The Austin, Texas, native admitted in the past there was too much focus on his big punch, but now he's working more on defense and adding other nuance to his game, making this "the perfect fight in my eyes."

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"I'll be able to adapt and I'll be able to go in there fully, fully focused and you're going to see something amazing that you haven't seen Kirkland work on or do in other fights," said Kirkland, who claims he loses seven pounds each workout.

The 31-year-old expects a contingent of 6,000-7,000 fans to make the approximately 165-mile trip from Austin to Houston. In fact, he says the ticket demand has been so much that he's been forced to turn his phone off and forward his calls. "I've got to kill that contact," he says, preferring to have singular focus in the lead up to his eighth appearance on HBO.

Kirkland always engages in fan-friendly bouts, but he's been plagued by long layoffs over the past few years. Following a disqualification victory over Carlos Molina in March 2012, it was almost 21 months before he was next in the ring. He blasted out Glen Tapia in one the best HBO fights of the year, but he hasn't been in the ring since that cold December night. Alvarez, too, is coming off a hiatus. He was slated to face Joshua Clottey last December but withdrew because of a persistent left ankle injury, leading to a break of nearly a year.

Kirkland is fully focused on the task at hand, but if he pulls off the upset, he knows there could be a pot of gold waiting for him.

"That would be one of God's great gifts if (Mayweather) gave me an opportunity to fight," Kirkland said with hope in his voice. "If I destroy Canelo and Floyd says, 'You know what, Kirkland, you worked your way from the bottom to the top. I'm willing to give it to you.' I'd be glad to take that fight. Soon as he gives me the opportunity, I would love to make it happen."

Boxing fans would love to see it happen, too.