By: Sean Crose
So now we’re being told that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez should have tested Gennady Golovkin on Saturday night in Las Vegas. This after we’ve been told in recent years that Canelo was an elusive, a cheat, the darling of the judges and just an overhyped hype product in general. Well okay. Go ahead, boo Canelo. Maybe he should have eliminated one of the most skilled boxers in recent memory this weekend because his opponent was on the decline. And yes, the judges have certainly been nice to Canelo at times over the years, so go ahead and boo that too. Also, Canelo DID ingest that banned substance years ago, so boo him on the PED front as well. Don’t tell me he’s overrated. Because he is not.
Here’s the thing: this isn’t the post-Mayweather Era of boxing, it’s the Canelo Era of boxing. The Mexican star may not be as commanding and flashy as his old opponent Mayweather was. He also can’t bring the pay-per-view numbers that Mayweather did. Well okay. Name me a fighter in all combat sports that matches Mayweather’s overall pay-per-view numbers. The truth is that Canelo will go on to be a boxing legend, and he will be well deserved. The man is only thirty-two years old and headed for seventy pro games. And before anyone says a lot of those early fights don’t count for much, let’s look at those Canelo fights that do.
Floyd Mayweather. Erislandy Lara. Miguel Coto. Amir Khan. Billy Joe Saunders. Callum Smith. Daniel Jacobs. James Kirkland. Dmitri Bivol. Gennady Golovkin. Those names make a good resume, even the two that gave Canelo losses. Now there are people saying that after Saturday’s performance, in which he was completely dominant, it is clear that Canelo is on his way down from the peak of him. Again, he couldn’t knock out Golovkin (never mind that Golovkin has never been knocked down once in his pro career). Additionally, Canelo was decisively outclassed by WBA light heavyweight champion Demitry Bivol last May. Perhaps these observers are right. Maybe Canelo IS starting to slip a little off the top of him.
But what a summit. It was only a year ago that the man could strike like thunder, especially to the body, slide punches, move up and down in weight, take on the biggest names available as well as those with the best records, and completely dominate. If Canelo hadn’t made it to the pantheon of all-time greats at that point, he would have come a long way. Besides, the guy’s not done yet. He may LOOK like he lacks a bit of rhythm, but Canelo may well take down all or most of the competition from here on out. And everyone can bet that the competition will be legit.
The bottom line? Canelo not only has a great track record, he has a tremendous track record of taking on the biggest challenges available, time and time again. No other fighter today has that reputation, or probably will, for some time. Canelo is also a class act, a true sportsman in a sport loaded with loudmouths. That’s why we must enjoy the Canelo Era while it lasts, because those things don’t last forever.
