Copado-Practicum Post #4

    This past weekend was not only Cinco De Mifflin, but it was a huge night for us boxing fans.  Or as I named it “Cinco De Mayweather.”  For those who don’t know, Floyd Mayweather is an African American professional boxer who is loved by many but hated by many more.  On Saturday he faced a Puerto Rican rising star named Miguel Cotto.  What does this have to do with my practicum you may be asking?  Well you see, May 5^th also marked the 150 anniversary of the battle of Puebla.  This is a celebrated event every year to the Mexican heritage since they fought and won that battle. 

    This date is also big in boxing because many of the great Mexican fighters on the past have fought on Cinco de Mayo.  This year was no different.  A young, up and coming, undefeated, Mexican fighter named Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, was also fighting his first big title fight as an undercard to the Mayweather/Cotto fight.  The significance of this?  He was to fight a legend that goes by the name of Shane Mosley.  This was Alvarez’s first true challenge.  The fight was even anticipated to be better than the main event itself because it put a future hall of famer (Mosley) in the ring with a 21 year old who is trying to be a part of the elite in boxing.  

    So of course I knew this would stir up a bit of a commotion on the forum.  So I posted a few days before the fight to see the reaction from my new community.  Indeed, this post did draw a huge crowd.  By fight night, I had 20 replies on my post in which people both defended and criticized their young superstar. 

    In the end, Canelo did end up beating the future hall of famer (Mosley) and retained his title!  This was not only a win for this rising superstar, but it was a win for the Mexican and Mexican-American culture because they have been missing an elite fighter ever since Oscar de la Hoya retired.