Boxing’s Upset of the Year as of May 31, 2019 was Andrew Cancio’s four-round demolition of Alberto Machado for Machado’s WBA super-featherweight title.
On February 9, 2019, Cancio was dropped early, yet later dropped and stopped the defending champion within four rounds in what most had expected to be another win for the previously undefeated Machado.
Then on June 1, 2019, Andy Ruiz made Mexican Heavyweight history by defeating champion Anthony Joshua in New York in what is now the slam-dunk Upset of the Year, and perhaps the biggest upset this decade.
Not to be forgotten, Cancio stepped into an immediate rematch with Machado.
Now the champion, the lead-in to bout II led to the Machado camp claiming insufficient time to train and difficulty making weight. Cancio, (21-4-2, 16KO) from Blythe, California, heard what was being said in the media and sought to silence the critics of fight I.
In fight II, on June 21, 2019, from the same venue of fight I at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio California and live on DAZN, Cancio needed one round less than the first encounter to stop Machado.
Dropped and stopped again due to a solid body-to-head game-plan by Cancio, Machado was defeated inside three rounds as Cancio defended the WBA title and made his own defense that fight I was no coincidence.
“I’m here to stay, it’s not a fluke. I did this twice and you got to see the new and improved Andrew Cancio,” said the now reigning-defending champion of his work.
The Golden Boy Promotions fighter may have lost his UOTY performance to Ruiz, yet what still is in play for Cancio is boxing’s Story of the Year.
Cancio works by day with the Southern California Gas Company, logging boxing’s all-too necessary road-work prior to clocking in for SCGC, working his shift at the gas company, then heads to the gym to train.
An interesting tidbit that comes out of Cancio’s story is that there is no time to be unproductive with the work-by-day, boxer-by-night scenario so successfully achieved by the fighter.
A common storyline in boxing is a fighter becoming swayed away from his or her dedication from the squared circle, and falling victim to the distractions outside the sport.
Perhaps a full-time job while fighting could actually be a good thing for a fighter?
Immediately after defending this title, Cancio spoke about what his plans are at this point, even as the WBA super-featherweight champion.
“Yeah I’ll be back at work on Monday.”
Photo: Raymundo Dioses