By: Hans Themistode
Canelo Alvarez is currently enjoying the view from the pinnacle of his pugilistic sport.
Over the course of his career, his top spot on the near-pound list has been won through arduous competitions against some of the best names the sport of boxing has to offer.
For now, Mexicans will likely be prioritized against anyone 160 pounds or more, believed to be cruiser class. However, despite Alvarez being seen as an almost indomitable force in the ring, former two-division champion, Paulie Malignaggi, has a hunch about who can and will beat him.
“Jermall Charlo is one of those guys that I can see who beat Canelo,” Malignaggi said on Paulie TV. “He is a super, super, sharp man. When Jermall is on top, he’s super, super sharp. Counterattack, he has the power. He is a good fighter. ”
As first reported by ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, both teams Alvarez and Charlo are locked in intense negotiations with both sides close to reaching an agreement for a match that will take place on Cinco De Mayo later this year.
Houston’s Charlo, 31, has come a long way and is successful at 160 pounds. Although he currently runs a weight division below Alvarez, Charlo has stated time and time again that he is ready to give up his WBC middleweight belt to take on Alvarez at 168 pounds.
While the pair have yet to finalize a formal deal, the confrontation with Charlo will mark the 180th mark entirely off Alvarez’s original plan.
After a round 11 win over Caleb Plant on November 6, 2021, Alvarez earned the final piece of the super-middle division. With the win, the Mexican product became the first undisputed 168-pound champion of all time.
With so many options at his disposal, Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s coach and manager, petitioned the WBC sanctioning body to allow his heavyweight competitor to gain weight to take on the champion. WBC class cruiser Ilunga Makabu. Immediately after his request, Mauricio Sulaiman, Chairman of the sanctioning body, accepted Reynoso’s request.
However, with Alvarez seemingly heading in a different direction, Malignaggi believes Charlo presents an entirely different set of problems for the newly crowned undisputed prestigious.
If Alvarez doesn’t just face Charlo but eventually defeats him, Malignaggi reveals that Alvarez will win all of his respect.
“I am the one who says you know what, Jermall and [Demetrius] Andrade, even though Andrade I feel is now past its prime and not as much of a threat to Canelo as it used to be, I feel Jemall is a big threat. Big, big, props for Canelo. This is the one I choose to beat him to if they fight. I’ll give Canelo even bigger props if he beats Charlo. I picked Jermall to beat Canelo and I had to stick with my original guns. ”
