By: Sean Crose
“I’ve been training hard,” says Pablo Cesar Cano. “I’m motivated by this opportunity against Jorge Linares.” Cano will indeed be engaging in the opportunity of a lifetime when he faces the esteemed Linares in New York Friday night on the Demtrius Andrade – Artur Akavov fight card at the Theater in Madison Square Garden. At stake is the World Boxing Council International Silver Super Lightweight Title. By pulling off the upset this weekend, Cano would surely make himself the toast of the fight game. “I’m going to leave everything in the ring,” he says, to show everyone what Mexican fighters are made of.”
Boasting a record of 31-7-1, Mexico’s Cano is arguably familiar with being the underdog. After all, he attained his hard earned WBC strap by besting 12-0 Ruslan Madiev in December of last year in Las Vegas. He’s also beaten well known and well regarded Mauricio Herrera in a 2016 matchup. Even some of the losses on Cano’s resume are notable. There’s no shame, after all, in dropping a fight to the likes of Shane Mosley, Paulie Malignaggi, or Erik Morales. Now, though, he’s aiming to face a big name and come out on top. For he will be battling the same Linares who bested the likes of Anthony Crolla, and Like Campbell, the same Linares who gave Vasyl Lomachenko a legitimate run back in May of last year.
“He has a lot of good qualities,” Cano says of the 45-4 Linares. “He has quick hands. He moves well around the ring. This will be an even fight. He has his advantages, and I have my advantages.” To Cano, it’s all about strength, which is where he feels he holds an advantage. “Though he may have quicker hands,” he says, “I will be the stronger fighter because he is coming to my weight.” Sure enough, Linares has been known as a lightweight, rather than a super lightweight, the division he will be fighting at on Friday.
“I’m focused,” Cano says. “I’m going to go there and do my job. I think Linares will go out there and try to box me. He’s going to try to hit and move, but I will go out there and make the fight like I always do. I’m going to work the body to decrease his hand speed.” Provided he wins, Cano sees the future looking bright. “Good things will come if I beat him,” he says. “I’m looking forward to delivering the fight of my life.”
Cano-Linares, will be aired live on the DAZN streaming service.