Widely-regarded as boxing’s pound-for-pound number one fighter, WBA ‘Super’ and WBC super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez has no plans to move up a weight and take on the beasts of the 175lbs division. The Mexican star believes the critics who want to see him move up to light-heavyweight merely hope to see him beaten by physically bigger men.
Canelo previously toppled Sergey Kovalev in 11 rounds to win the WBO light-heavyweight crown in November 2019, but that was a temporary visit to 175lbs before establishing his roots in the super-middleweight division.
The Mexican plans to fully unify at super-middle after a WBC mandatory defence against Avni Yildirim in Miami this weekend – with WBO title-holder Billy Joe Saunders lined up for a showdown on May 8 and a confrontation with IBF king Caleb Plant next on Canelo’s agenda. Anyone who wants to see him move up to light-heavyweight in the short to medium-term will be disappointed.
“Those who don’t believe in me want to see me lose [and move to 175lbs]. That’s what they want to see anyway,” four-weight champion Canelo (54-1-2, 36 KOs) told Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald.
“If it’s not at [light-heavyweight], they will make it another weight. What they want is to see me lose, so they can be happy. Well, obviously, I’m not going to please them.
“I feel at my best at this stage of my career, I feel very strong, more skilful, more confident inside the ring. I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat me in the [super-middleweight] division.”
Main image: Melina Pizano/Matchroom Boxing USA.