For Canelo, A Monster Now Awaits
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Canelo Álvarez made a triumphant return to the ring this past weekend, dominating undisputed junior middleweight champion, Jermell Charlo, where he cruised to a one-sided unanimous decision victory.
Charlo who referred to himself as a “lion” all fight week, looked more like a house cat against the Mexican superstar. Canelo got downhill on him like an avalanche and the 33-year-old Houston, Texas native wasn’t ever able to find any breathing room to get his offense going. Álvarez consistently cut the ring off with ease, backed Charlo to the ropes constantly, and landed with much more authority on every metric.
According to Compubox, Canelo outlanded Charlo 134-71 in terms of total punches. He also hit Charlo with 42 body shots, deflating the much smaller fighter behind thudding left hooks throughout the bout. The 168-pound king’s shining moment though came in the seventh round, where he dropped Charlo to a knee with a beautifully placed overhand right. It was a vintage performance from one of the sport’s biggest stars, at a time when many were doubting his greatness more than ever.
From fans, fighters, and pundits alike, much of the narratives surrounding Álvarez coming into this matchup with Charlo were regarding whether he still was among boxing’s elite. After going 2-1 in his last three fights, coming into the showdown with Charlo which featured a decisive defeat to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, Álvarez’s recent performances left much to be desired.
There have been questions surrounding his health since Canelo underwent surgery to repair an injury to his left wrist last November. Additionally, the noise that father time and having 60+ fights had finally caught up to him, only grew louder following uninspired victories over, Gennady Golovkin in their trilogy meeting in September 2022 and John Ryder this past Cinco De Mayo weekend.
However, Canelo emphatically silenced those detractors by effortlessly bullying Charlo for 12 rounds. He answered any questions surrounding his physical health or if he was slowing down at all. Álvarez looked reinvigorated and reborn, like a phoenix rising from the ashes. He proclaimed as much to Showtime’s Jim Gray after the fight.
“I love boxing so fucking much,” Álvarez said. “Boxing is my life. Boxing make me the person I am today. Nobody can beat this Canelo.”
What’s Next For Canelo?
Now that he’s reaffirmed his place in the pantheon of boxing royalty, Canelo’s next act will be his biggest yet. The two options in front of him have boxing fans across the globe foaming at the mouth in anticipation. Undisputed welterweight champion, Terence Crawford, and former two-time WBC super middleweight champ, David Benavidez, both provide him with enticing matchups. The fight with Crawford would be an unprecedented and historic one.
A potential Canelo-Bud showdown, seeing arguably the sport’s two biggest stars collide close to their respective competitive peaks, is a once-in-a-generation event. An all-time switch hitter whose power and timing are unmatched, Crawford is the fighter of this era who seemingly defies the odds, time and time again. In July, he put on a masterclass beatdown against former unified welterweight champion, Errol Spence Jr., becoming the only male boxer in the four-belt era to claim the title of undisputed in two divisions. Following that up with a victory over Álvarez, a bout where Bud would have to move up three weight classes, would be one of the greatest feats in combat sports history.
But between Spence Jr. activating his immediate rematch clause against Crawford, and the weight discrepancy between the two undisputed champs, there are some big obstacles in making any fight with the pair happen at the moment. The possible matchup with Benavidez on the other hand, is much easier to materialize. It’s also the toughest fight of Canelo’s illustrious career potentially.
The Monster Is Lurking
While many were critical of how passive Jermell Charlo was against Álvarez, that same concern shouldn’t be present for David Benavidez. The 26-year-old Phoenix, Arizona native gets downhill on his opponents in a very similar way that Canelo does. But, with more brutality. This is the irresistible force meeting the immovable object. Two high-pressure fighters, that break down their opposition behind devastating body punching, is a fight fan’s delight. There’s also the cultural relevance this bout brings, in terms of what it will mean to the Mexican community.
We’ve seen many great rivalries over the years featuring fighters of Mexican heritage. Whether it’s Barrera-Morales, Márquez-Vázquez, Chávez-De La Hoya, or Olivares-Castillo, there’s a different significance to these legendary battles. Álvarez-Benavidez has the chance to be the next chapter of this nation’s storied boxing history. A reignited, aging superstar taking on an ascending contender for cultural bragging rights and an undisputed championship on top of that is combat sports theater at its finest.
Between the storylines surrounding it or the stylistic matchup of the fight itself, the dynamics of this showdown are endlessly intriguing. Benavidez has been chomping at the bit for this meeting for years now. He’s been hunting Canelo. But, I’m not sure the super middleweight champ is to be viewed as easy prey… The pre-fight banter between these two will be fiery as hell, and watching who the Mexican fans side with, only adds into the story. As ESPN’s Nigel Collins wrote back in May 2017, the geographical differences of Álvarez being a Mexican nationalist and Benavidez being Mexican-American will play on the heartstrings of the communities rooting interests.
“The dynamics of the various rooting interests among people of Mexican heritage are often delineated by geography. Fighters from Mexico City are generally hated by boxers from outside the Distrito Federal. The rivalries between Mexican Nationals and Mexican-American are particularly intense, and it’s not unusual to see Mexican-Americans cheering for the boxer from south of the border.”
The Timing for Canelo-Benavidez Couldn’t Be More Perfect
As Canelo eluded to Jim Gray in their post-fight chat following his victory over Charlo, he wants to return next May during Cinco De Mayo weekend. Benavidez meanwhile, is set to face former WBO middleweight champ, Demetrius Andrade, on Thanksgiving in his next appearance. That matches their respective timelines up pretty well to make a massive Cinco De Mayo date a reality in 2024. If Benavidez gets by Andrade next month as expected, the hype for a meeting with Álvarez will only swell even bigger.
This fight represents everything I love about boxing. The pageantry, culture, storytelling, and elite competition it provides for someone to enjoy are endless. While Canelo refuted many of his doubters with the victory over Charlo, a challenger like Benavidez opens up another pandora’s box of questions for him to answer. How does he deal with Benavidez’s size and pace? What happens if Canelo is the one being backed up to the ropes? Who wins the exchanges inside of the pocket? Can Canelo handle fighting in a phone booth with Benavidez? Who lands the better body shots?
All of these are questions I want to see answered. Canelo reclaimed his throne as boxing’s king of 168 pounds and of Mexico. But now the “Mexican Monster” is lurking and is possibly the most dangerous adversary he’s ever faced.
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