There is no question that the undisputed super middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) is the face of boxing. He’s continued to fight in May & September each year on the two biggest Mexican holidays, but has his fights grown a bit stale amongst those who spend their hard-earned dollars to see him fight, whether live or on TV? There have been plenty of comments on social media from Canelo loyalists who are getting antsy with their guy as he continues to take on the fights that aren’t David Benavidez, which many believe is the biggest fight in boxing.
When Was The Last Time Canelo Had A Fight That Had Fans Buzzing Afterward?
Canelo has had some run in boxing, so much so that people are saying he is getting awfully close to surpassing the great Julio Cesar Chavez as the greatest Mexican fighter of all time. Canelo is the undisputed super middleweight champion, but his fights to reach that distinction weren’t against the division’s best. The undisputed run was met with a lukewarm reception, forcing fans to start zooming in on his legacy.
The last fight that had Canelo fans buzzing afterward was the second Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin fight on September 15, 2018. It was truly two of the best fighters in their division facing each other and displaying a master class in feints, foot positioning, counterpunching, and precision. It was a razor-close fight (114-114, 115-113 & 115-113), with fans and media debating who they felt won for months. After that, has any Canelo win made you say, “I want to rewatch that Canelo fight?” The answer is likely no, as his punch output has dipped a bit while throwing fewer combinations. There are plenty of reasons why this discussion of Canelo’s brand getting stale has been ignored, but you can only silence those who have followed the sport for so long.
Is This More About The Current Climate In Boxing Or Just Business?
We live in a world where one’s attention span is extremely short. People prefer watching videos to reading and quickly move on from one thing to another. It feels like in boxing, you have one fight to get that person’s attention, and if you don’t, you lose them. With Canelo’s run the last few years, he hasn’t been able to gain some of the younger fans as there hasn’t been a reason to. Canelo’s last five fights have all gone the distance, with one of them being the loss to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022. He’s been able to stay the face of the sport based on all of the adults who have followed him for years, but will that be enough in today’s economic climate? The numbers haven’t been quite the same for Canelo fights, which can be a direct reflection of what was mentioned.
Canelo could afford to lose a little (taking on lesser opponents) to win big later, which could be him using his profile power to negotiate the biggest purse possible. He threw out $200 million as the number it would take him to fight Benavidez. Although that is an eye-popping figure, it felt like a direct message to Turki Alalshikh so that he knew what the ballpark figure would be for such a fight. More than likely, Alalshikh won’t go that high, but Canelo is looking for something in the nine-digit area, and he may just get it if the Saudis get desperate enough.
Canelo Needs To Make A Dramatic Move, Or Things Will Get Worse
This conversation about Canelo’s brand brings to mind the situation that occurred with legendary wrestler Hulk Hogan in the 90s. He signed with WCW (World Championship Wrestling) in 1994, and after two years, the red & yellow colors and everything that came with it no longer connected with the fans. It took a drastic move by Hogan, which was to “turn heel” and become the leader of the NWO (New World Order) to regain his fans. It was a risky move, but it worked out and gave Hogan another run late in his career.
Canelo’s drastic move would be to fight the younger and bigger Benavidez. It’s the type of fight that could create a whole new run that takes Canelo into the next few years and eventually retirement. There is plenty of risk involved, but something tells me that his status within boxing and amongst the Latin community would give him a pass if he lost. They would credit him for giving Benavidez an opportunity at greatness. The fight could be great and result in a trilogy, but we won’t know unless he makes that move, and from the looks of things, it won’t be in 2024.
My Three Cents
There may be a point where Canelo is put in a corner and will be forced to face Benavidez, but that time doesn’t seem to be now. Maybe it will take another non-sellout of a fight or a PPV to tank, requiring him to take less money before considering the Benavidez fight. There will be plenty of eyes on how Canelo’s fan base continues to react to his events moving forward as he runs out of opponents the people don’t want to see him face. Is Canelo still exciting to watch? That is up for debate and for you, the consumer, to decide.
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