By: Sean Crose
So now we’re told that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez was supposed to make his Gennady Golovkin debut on Saturday night in Las Vegas. This after we’ve been told for the past few years that Canelo is a duck, a cheat, a jury darling and just an overrated product of the hype. Good. Go ahead and boo Canelo. Maybe he should knock out one of the most skilled boxers in recent memory this weekend because his opponent is falling. And yes, the judges have definitely been nice to Canelo over the years, so go ahead and boo that. Furthermore, Canelo DID ate that drug years ago, so boo him on the PED front. Just don’t tell me he’s overrated. Because he doesn’t.
Here’s the thing: this isn’t a Mayweather Era post – it’s the Canelo Era of boxing. The Mexican star may not be as dominant and flashy as his old rival Mayweather. Nor can he deliver the pay-per-view numbers that Mayweather did. Good. Name me as a boxer in all combat sports with Mayweather’s overall pay-per-view figure. The truth is that Canelo is going to be a boxing legend, and it’s well-deserved. The man is only thirty-two and he is aiming for seventy professional fights. And before anyone says that many of those early skirmishes don’t count as much, let’s see that those Canelo fights totally do the trick.
Floyd Mayweather. Erislandy Lara. Miguel Cotto. Amir Khan. Billy Joe Saunders. Callum Smith. Daniel Jacobs. James Kirkland. Dmitry Bivol. Gennady Golovkin. Those names make for a pretty good resume, even the two that made Canelo lose money. There are those who say that after Saturday’s performance – one in which he completely dominated – it was clear that Canelo was on his way down from his peak. Again, he can’t take down Golovkin (never mind that Golovkin has never been knocked down a single time throughout his professional career). Furthermore, Canelo was usurped by WBA lightweight champion Demitry Bivol last May. Perhaps these observers were right. Maybe the Canelo IS is starting to slip off its top a bit.
But what a summit. Just a year ago, the man could deliver thunderous punches – especially in the body – sliding punches, up and down with weight, knocking down the biggest names out there, as well as the ones with the best track record, and absolutely dominating. If Canelo didn’t make it to the greatest star of all time at the time, he was very close. Plus, the guy isn’t done yet. He might miss SEEM a bit, but Canelo can also wipe out all or most of the opponents from here on out. And people can bet that the contest will be legal.
Key point? Not only does Canelo have a great record, he also has a great history of taking on the biggest challenges out there, over and over again. No other current fighter has that reputation, or probably will for some time. Canelo is also a classy act, a true sportsman in a sport full of bullies. That’s why we should enjoy the Canelo Era while it lasts – because such things don’t last forever.
