Canelo Alvarez is in decline?
Some believe it’s obvious after a few mediocre performances. Others may point out that a now-cured wrist injury played a role in his struggle. And Alvarez himself says that whoever removes him will be surprised, starting with his pay-per-view match against John Ryder on Saturday in Mexico.
The Mexican star said: “I am happy to prove to people that they are wrong.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) has been one of the most successful boxers in the world over the past decade but he also knows his failures.
I won’t count his one-sided loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, when Alvarez was 23 years old. He took a big swing and missed one of the greatest tennis players of all time.
And he recovered by delivering some of his most memorable victories, including unforgettable knocks over James Kirkland and Amir Khan, as well as decisions against elite foes Erislandy Lara and Amir Khan. Miguel Cotto from 2014 to 2016.
Alvarez started to look vulnerable in 2017. That’s when he escaped loss with a draw against strongman Gennadiy Golovkin that most observers would call a robbery. He won the rematch by majority decision, but again, that’s not convincing.
Of course, there’s no shame in fighting on conditions almost on par with a future Hall of Famer like Golovkin. At the same time, he lost the invincible aura he had built up since his fight with Mayweather.
And that hasn’t really changed since the first two battles with Golovkin. He had a strong performance in the unanimous decision victory over proven veteran Daniel Jacobs in May 2019 but it was a close fight, more evidence that he was inconsistent. needed to be a dominant fighter against the highest level of opposition.
Many other mediocre performances followed.
Alvarez made a bold 175-pound move to challenge then-belt holder Sergey Kovalev in November of that year, although the 36-year-old Russian was thought to be vulnerable. Alvarez made a knockout but it took him over 10 innings and the game basically went on even in stoppage time.
What followed was a series of successful bouts against good, not-so-specialist opponents to unify all four super-middleweight belts, victories over Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant.
Then I think Alvarez is too focused on collecting trophies rather than facing the best possible opponents, including David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo. Alvarez realized his goal of becoming a champion was undisputed, but the fans weren’t necessarily inspired.
Then there was the bad fight with Bivol last May, when the naturally bigger, talented Russian knocked Alvarez out of the lead on many weight lists with a decisive win. by ratio. (115-113 on the board) are indicated. Bivol is superior to Alvarez.
And a lackluster decision against Golovkin in their third fight last September didn’t do much to restore Alvarez’s reputation. For many, that performance cleared all doubts that he was no longer the dominant boxer of the past.
Jose Benavidez Sr., father and coach of David Benavidez, is in that group. Elder Benavidez believes Alvarez has so far refused to fight his son because he knows he has slipped.
“El Canelo is slowly losing its balance,” said Jose Benavidez Sr. told Izquierdazo.com. “… The body no longer has the same speed, the same strength, the same reflexes.”
Some, including Jose Benavidez Sr., have suggested that simple wear and tear affected Alvarez, who turned pro at the age of 15 in 2005. Which means he did. this job full time for almost 18 years.
Some wondered if the hunger was gone. After all, he made 100 times more than he could spend. And how much more can he achieve? He is already a four division owner and a future Hall of Famer.
And some might argue that the right-hander’s left wrist injury played a role in his side’s recent performance. He had surgery right after the match against Golovkin in September.
Perhaps a healthy Alvarez now will look like the old dominant boxer in the match against Ryder. He was only 32 years old, an age at which most elite warriors were still far from their primes. Alvarez hopes to remind fans of what made him great even when he is no longer at his peak.
“I feel very good,” he said. “I have a lot of years in my career, 17 years as a professional player. I have also been traumatized. I’m not at my best but I’m very motivated and I’m happy to go to the gym, work out at 100% and they’ll see what happens.
“I am very excited and motivated. Be careful with that.”
Alvarez’s fate is in his own hands. He should beat Ryder, a solid but limited opponent. He then plans to fight Bivol again in September in hopes of avenging his devastating defeat.
If he meets Bivol for the second time and wins, he will regain a lot of what was lost. If he loses, it will confirm what a lot of people believe: That the best of Canelo Alvarez is in the distant past.
