Despite a growing narrative that he is a fighter on the decline, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez delivered a first grade performance this past weekend he defeated Jermell Charlo via unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena.
A significant number of pundits were picking Charlo to hand Alvarez the third defeat of his professional career, with Dmitri Bivol and Floyd Mayweather the only men to get the better of the Mexican thus far.
The loss to Mayweather happened all the way back in 2013, when ‘Canelo’ was only 23 and very much still viewed as a prospect.
He reflected on the defeat in a recent interview with One On One Boxing, and explained that he believes the gulf in experience between himself and ‘Money’ was the pivotal factor that night.
“I think Mayweather’s style would make it hard for any fighter. It’s a tough style to face. His style is one where he never takes risk, he never puts himself at risk in any fight – that makes things more difficult.”
“I think it was his experience which beat me that night. He has a lot of experience, he is a great fighter and he showed it that night. He showed why experience is important in boxing.”
Alvarez’ continued growth and improvement since the Mayweather loss has saw him establish himself as one of the greatest fighters of this generation, a reputation he looks set to keep building upon in 2024.
The vast majority of fans are calling for him to face David Benavidez next, who is widely considered the number one contender at super middleweight and the toughest test for Alvarez at the weight class.