Saul Alvarez vs. Gabriel Rosado: 5 Reasons This Fight Needs to Happen

Gabriel Rosado (courtesy of kinggabrosado.com)

Gabriel Rosado (20-5, 12 KO) is the junior middleweight division's 26-year-old best kept secret. After a series of tough challenges, the young challenger is ready for a championship battle.

One champ of interest is 21-year-old WBC champ Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (40-0-1, 29 KO).

After speaking to Mr. Rosado's strength and conditioning coach Jason Sargus of the famous Brazen Boxing & MMA gym in Philadelphia and seeing the type of rigorous and unique brand of training Rosado is put through, Alvarez would be put through the stiffest test of his career.

While Canelo is a talented fighter and a bold, young and exciting force in the sport, Rosado has had to take a much harder road to get to where he is now.

While Canelo has feasted on smaller and older men, Rosado has faced the likes of Saul Roman (36-9, 30 KO), Alfredo Angulo (20-2, 17 KO), and Fernando Guerrero (23-1, 18 KO),

Canelo's been on a search for a big test of his skills in selecting the likes of James Kirkland (31-1, 27 KO), Paul Williams (41-2, 27 KO) and Victor Ortiz (29-4-2, 22 KO) before injuries canceled those bouts.

If Canelo still wants to face a stiff test of where he truly is on the world level, he needs to face Rosado. Here's five reasons Canelo vs. Rosado must happen in boxing.

5. Rosado Is a Conditioning Beast

Jesus Soto Karass while taking a beating
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Rosado's strength and conditioning coach Mr. Sargus explained what type of constant pressure he wants Rosado to be able to exhibit when talking about Rosado's fight vs. Soto Karass:

"Soto Karass liked to come forward and when things weren’t going his way, he started going back hoping to regroup. When you get into the upper echelons, if you let a fighter regroup, they will make you pay. You can’t let a fighter off the hook. You see fighters and they have that unspoken agreement, 'you take 20 seconds and I’ll take 20 seconds.' While they’re taking that break, we want to exploit them. We’re coming forward when they’re taking that time off."

While Alvarez hasn't shown much fading, he's shown a tendency to hesitate when he needs to let his fists fly. Rosado doesn't have that same hesitation.

If Alvarez looks gun-shy, Rosado will make him pay. Rosado is the perfect opponent to break Alvarez's habit of being too patient with his punches.

4. Rosado Won't Let Canelo off the Hook

Rosado's been conditioned to kick things into overdrive when he notices his opponent becoming tired.

"Any time [Powell] took a break, even 20 seconds, Gabby put the pressure on him," said Rosado's strength and conditioning coach Mr. Sargus. "We stay on him, you don’t let him refocus."

3. Rosado vs. Canelo Is Explosive Enough to Be a Fight of the Year

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez fighting "Sugar" Shane Mosley
Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Alvarez has power, Rosado has power, and both fighters don't have an ounce of quit in them.

Mr. Sargus doesn't believe anyone can stand up to Rosado's level of activity and says that "Once we get that, it’s gonna be the fight of the year."

2. Rosado Has the Personality to Sell a Fight on CBS

Rosado talks of his heritage and fighting in the long boxing tradition of the Philly fighter

Rosado comes from a long history of great Philly fighters and is trained by Billy Briscoe. He calls out fighters and is clearly hungry, yet he's humble and only seeks to challenge himself.

He's looking for no easy way out or shortcuts to greatness. 

It is these character traits that will come out well on network television if Canelo's promoter Golden Boy is serious about putting a fight on CBS.

1. Mexico vs. Puerto Rico... 'Nuff Said

A Highlight Reel of Boxing's Biggest Rivalry of the Past 25 years: Mexico vs. Puerto Rico

Rosado is Puerto Rican and Canelo is Mexican.

Mexico vs. Puerto Rico has produced some of the biggest fights of boxing's past three decades.

Benitez vs. Palomino.

Gomez vs. Pintor.

Cotto vs. Margarito.

And most recently, Salido vs. Lopez.

Rosado vs. Alvarez has all the makings of a modern-day classic. When two young determined warriors come together in search of pathway to greatness, they find it in each other.

If Golden Boy wants to present Canelo to a television audience of millions the proper way, they'll put him in with someone who can present a level of danger that will create suspense that moves fans.

Rosado is that fighter and if he is chosen as Alvarez's next opponent, he will create that suspense.

For more sports news and analysis, follow me @justindavidtate