By: Sean Crose
Make no mistake about it, Canelo Alvarez has been the single most dominant boxer of the post Mayweather era. The guy has not only earned himself a fortune, he’s proven himself to be one of the top fighters of his generation. The amount of high level opponents Canelo has fought and bested is extraordinary. Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, Caleb Plant Amir Khan, Callum Smith and others have all tasted defeat at the gloved hands of the red haired Mexican star. He is without doubt on his way to the Hall of Fame if and when he decides to retire.
Now, however, there is a sense that Canelo may (“may” being the operative word here) be riding off into the sunset right now. His upcoming weekend battle again underdog William Scull in Saudi Arabia is an attraction only because his name is on the marque. And while there’s always the chance of an upset in boxing, few are confident that Scull will be able to shock the world when the two men throw down. This fall may prove more promising as major fights go. There’s been much talk of Canelo facing the one and only Terence Crawford before the year is out.
Should that fight go down it would prove to be as strange on paper as it would be lucrative at the box office. Crawford, who has had all but one fight at junior middleweight would be taking on super middleweight king Canelo. No one would likely take the bout too seriously if it weren’t for the fact Crawford is an absolutely world class fighter. All of which might make things risky for Canelo. Crawford could lose the fight and keep his stellar reputation. Canelo, on the other hand, might lose face should he lose to the former undisputed welterweight champion.
Canelo, however, hasn’t been known to avoid challenges. While the first fight with Golovkin may have been over marinated a bit, it proved to be worth the wait. And if he’s currently guilty of avoiding the ferocious David Benavidez it’s worth noting that Canelo hasn’t retired yet. The man, when all is said and done, has been a good representative for the sport. And if he moves on to the likes of Crawford, Benavidez or light heavyweight master Dmitry Bivol, he will continue to be. Canelo’s career is undeniably heading towards its conclusion. It’s worth enjoying this ring master while we still can.
