Canelo Alvarez is desperate to show his critics that he still has what it takes to make it at the top level of the sport.
The Mexican’s last few performances have called into question his current form. His defeat to Dmitry Bivol in a one-sided bout had shown loopholes in Alvarez’s defense that had not been seen for a while.
Meanwhile, his follow up fights against GGG and John Ryder did not result in stoppages as Canelo’s power and stamina was questioned.
Although that may have been the case, Alvarez was coming back from surgery on his wrist. And now that he has claimed that he is fully healed, he is ready to put on a performance to prove his critics wrong.
Canelo On His Motivation
“Boxing-wise, I wasn’t 100%, but critics are always looking for something, aren’t they? And obviously, I agree with them that I haven’t looked, in my last few fights, like I used to. I don’t just want to give a rebuttal. I’d prefer to show them, and in this fight, you’re going to see the difference. Challenges are what keeps me motivated in boxing. I want people to remember me as a great athlete, as a great champion, and as one of the best,” Canelo
Nevertheless, a loss for Canelo could prove problematic. Not only would it fuel the claims that he is on the decline, his status as a cash cow in the sport would be under question.
After all, a huge part of the Mexican’s pulling power has been the fact that he possesses all the belts at super middleweight. And there is not getting away from that.
However, a win for Canelo, would open up doors for other potential big fights. The David Benavidez fight has been in the offing for a while.
And with a potential date on Mexican Independence Day in 2024, the fight would draw in a huge audience. At the same time, a fight with Jaime Munguia could also occur since the former is a Mexican who is also undefeated. So either way, Canelo would be in a good place.
Canelo On Bivol
Meanwhile, Canelo Alvarez has opened up on his loss to Dmitry Bivol. The undisputed champion at super middleweight moved up to face the WBA light heavyweight champion only to come up short.
The Mexican was dominated in a one-sided fight as he lost via a unanimous decision. Although that was the case, Canelo did express his desire to run things back.
However, talks over a rematch broke down as the two fighters could not agree on the terms. Alvarez wanted to avenge his loss at 175 pounds.
Meanwhile, Bivol had ambitions of moving down to 168 pounds in order to face Canelo for all of his belts and become undisputed at super middlweight.
Those terms could not be overcome as Canelo moved on to face Jermell Charlo in a fight that will go ahead on September 30th, 2023. But looking back, the defeat was hard to take.
“Obviously, nobody is prepared to lose, right? Obviously I was very hurt by the defeat but in the end, you have to accept it. And you also have to look at the circumstances in which I lost, moving up in weight and trying to continue making history. You have to see how you lost and also accept it and take it like a man and move on. It doesn’t stop there,” Alvarez
Canelo’s Chance
Nevertheless, there was a narrative that Canelo was not a 100 percent. In the aftermath of the fight, the Mexican did undergo surgery on his wrist. Although that was not an excuse for his defeat, it did play into the narrative that a rematch was needed.
But whether there was any substance to that will be revealed when Canelo faces Charlo. Alvarez spoke on how he has healed from the injury and surgery, leaving him with no excuses come fight night.
“Now I feel 100 percent. I can throw my hand, I can work with [trainer] Eddy [Reynoso] on the pads, I can throw my hand hard. That makes me feel confident in the fight,” Canelo
So the question is can he deliver? Time will tell how it all plays out. You can stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in the world of boxing and MMA by visiting boxingblitz right here.
