Canelo vs Rocky Fielding: Mexican star wants knockout as he bids to become three-weight world champion

The 28-year-old is a heavy favourite despite being the smaller man heading into Sunday's showdown in New York

Canelo Alvarez has vowed to push for a knockout victory over WBA super-middleweight title holder Rocky Fielding as he bids to become a three-weight world champion on Sunday.

Liverpool-born Fielding is a huge underdog in his first defence of the title he won by beating previously undefeated German fighter Tyron Zeuge in July, despite the fact that Mexican superstar Canelo will be moving up to super-middleweight for the first time.

Canelo has ended 34 of his 53 professional fights inside the distance and says he wants to put on a show for his fans at New York’s Madison Square Garden against Fielding, whose sole defeat came in the form of a first-round knockout loss to Callum Smith in November 2015.

“Winning by a KO is always impressive,” Alvarez said.

“I am preparing to make the best of it in this fight by any way, by any means necessary. I'm going to give everything in the ring, and I'm always going to look for the KO as I do in my fights.

Canelo is bidding to become a three-weight world champion against Fielding (Getty)

“It's very important to be on that list of about 10 Mexicans to become three-division world champions, to enter history.

“That's why I'm here taking on this important fight, and it's important that we win this title.”

Fielding responded to the Smith loss by winning six consecutive fights to become world super-middleweight champion, and will take confidence from the fact that he is the naturally bigger fighter than Canelo, who has only been beaten by Floyd Mayweather in his professional career.

“It's not a secret that I'm a better fighter and that I'm more experienced,” Alvarez added.

“But I'm taking a risk by entering into a comfort zone of a champion and his weight, that's a risk, and that risk makes it even. It makes it interesting. No fight is easy, so I'm preparing for a hard fight.

“I know that Rocky is used to receiving punches from another weight class and I know that he's taller. It's not an easy fight, and I'm preparing for the best Rocky Fielding and to make sure that there are no surprise.”