“Honor and Glory: Canelo vs. Lara” comes to the MGM Grand, and  live on SHOWTIME PPV, Saturday July 12. Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Saul, “El Canelo” Alvarez is “one of the most compelling fighters on the planet today,” a former World Champion and still just 23 years old, known for his exciting style and charismatic demeanor.  He’s been a professional since 2005, and he won the WBC Junior Middleweight title in 2011, and successfully defended it five times.  He’s back on track with a March 2014 technical knockout win over Alfredo Angulo, and now making a huge statement for July 12th, facing the very difficult Erislandy Lara. We had a chance to speak with Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya, president and founder of Golden Boy Promotions.

HOMBRE: How do you feel about the fight?
Oscar De La Hoya: We, we are counting down the days.  Everybody’s really excited.  Just to point out to you, the event is almost sold out, a complete sell out.  We are also hearing from all the cable operators that this fight is tracking extremely well, so it’s obviously a great indication not only of Canelo’s star power and not only of the great stacked card that we have, but also because this is a great fight that a lot of people feel is a toss-up fight.    

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez: I just want to let you know I’m very happy.  I’m happy that the fight’s right around the corner, and I want to let you know that I’m ready.  I’m ready for that great night.

H: After fights with both Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather, do you think that’s going to put you even at a higher plateau, at a higher level in the future?

SCA: I pick the most dangerous, the best fights because at the end of the day I fight for the fans and I want to give them the best fights out there. As far as getting further out in my career and reaching new heights, you know, by fighting the toughest fights, by fighting the best fighters out there, that’s how I fulfill myself, taking on the biggest challenges.  And time will tell.

H: Mexico left the World Cup early, do you feel winning this fight will make the nation feel better?

SCA: Yes, of course.  When it comes to World Cup Soccer we’re all right there with the patriotism following our country, and I’m hoping that July 12th my victory will give all of my countrymen the same satisfaction as well and keep them happy.

H: Mayweather has taken over dates important to Mexico, like September and May; dates in the past meant fights for Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya, do you see in the future these dates once again belonging to a Mexican boxer?

ODLH: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has given me strict orders, obviously he wants to follow in the footsteps of the great champions hailing from Mexico like Julio Cesar Chavez, fighters that have started the tradition of fighting Cinco de Mayo, started the tradition of fighting in September.  Canelo now being a star of his own and a big draw and a person who the fans adore, me, as his promoter, it is my obligation to do what’s best for the fighter.  So we’re obviously focusing 100 percent on Erislandy Lara and then we will be sitting down with Saul Canelo Alvarez and plan out his future.

SCA: I want to retake those dates and bring them back.  Those dates are Mexican dates, they’re Mexican independence dates, and yes, for next year I will be fighting, I want to be fighting on those dates.

H: What now do you expect to see in what you learned from Mayweather, building off the momentum from Angulo, what do you expect to show us tactically against Lara that shows your improvement?

SCA: Lara and his camp have their strategy and they’re working their game plan.  But I’m comfortable with mine.  I’m working very hard.  I’m working for this fight.  Every fight is different.  You prepare for every opponent differently.  And I’m very confident that come July 12th once we’re in the ring all the other stuff goes out the window and it’s just him and I up in the ring.  And that’s what I’m preparing for, and that’s what’s going to take care of business on the 12th.

H: Oscar, can you weigh in on that?  You actually stated that you were concerned about him taking this fight and in fact didn’t want this fight necessarily for him.  

ODLH:  Yes, when people say I didn’t want this fight for him, obviously it wasn’t the first choice.  As a promoter you don’t want the most difficult fight out there for him.  But this is what Canelo’s all about, ultimately it’s his decision, and his decision is a very calculated decision.  He’s confident in his abilities, and he wants to fight the very best.  That’s the bottom line.

H: is the future of Canelo as a middleweight?  

SCA:  I feel very comfortable at 154, and I’ll be here for the next few years, if not the rest of my career.  I don’t know yet.  It’s when my body tells me otherwise that it’s time to move then we’ll do it.  But I’m very comfortable right now at 154.

H: Although no title belt’s at stake,  but will the winner of this fight be the best fighter in the world as a junior middleweight?

SCA: Yes, without a doubt he’s one of the best fighters out there in the world in this weight division, so the winner of this fight will, without a doubt, be the best fighter in the division.

H:  Oscar, what are your thoughts?

ODLH:  Absolutely.  This is a junior middleweight fight, and you have the number one and number two guy in the world, so absolutely the winner will be considered the best 154 pound champion.

H: What do you, as the promoter, view as the next step for the winner of this fight?

ODLH:  We haven’t even discussed it.  We haven’t even talked about it.  The focus is 100 percent on Lara.  After the fight, we will either make an announcement, or just sit down and discuss it with Canelo and his team, and come out with a plan. This fight is so difficult and dangerous that we cannot look past Erislandy Lara.  So, no, we are not looking past him right now.  Canelo is solely focused on Lara.

H: Because you complained about Lara’s attitude throughout the promotion for this fight, do you feel his attitude to be genuine, or do you think he’s just trying to get inside your head? 

SCA: I’m not going to get into his games.  If I didn’t want the fight, the fight wouldn’t be happening.  The fight is here because I wanted the fight.  And on July 12th we’re going to see who hits who. This is real.  This is very personal.  You guys know me.  He [Lara] offended me.  He offended my person.  He offended Mexican boxing.  So, yes, it’s very personal.

H: How does it make you feel that you’re now in the talks and the names with Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao as the top Pay-Per-View stars in boxing?

SCA:  I’m very happy.  I’m very proud, because we have to show the world that us as Latinos, us as Mexicans, we can be at the top as well.  So, yes, I’m very happy for that.

H: I just want to get your official prediction for the fight.  Do you see this fight going the distance?

SCA: Yes, exactly the fight is near.  And you know what, we’re ready, we’re prepared.  I can’t really give you if the knockout comes, but I can guarantee you this, that we’re going to come out with a hand raised.

“Honor & Glory: Canelo vs. Lara,” a 12-round junior middleweight fight takes place Saturday, July 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona and AT&T.

In the co-main event, Abner Mares returns to the ring to face Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo in a 10-round featherweight bout. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Johan Perez defends his interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Title against Mauricio Herrera in a 12-round matchup. Also, Juan Manuel Lopez meets Francisco Vargas in a 10-round bout for the WBO International Super Featherweight Title.

The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). For information, visit www.SHO.com/Sports. Canelo vs. Lara will be shown on the big screen in movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. Information will be available at www.fathomevents.com.

Tickets are still available at the $750, $500, $250, $150, $75 and $50 price ranges, not including applicable service charges.  Tickets are limited to eighteen (18) per person with a limit of eight (8) at the $75 and $50 price ranges.  To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @CaneloOficial, @LaraBoxing, @abnermares00, @jonathanoquen, @juanma_lopez, @elbandido130, @elmaestro1, @mgmgrand, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #CaneloLara and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.