The debate of who is the best pound-for-pound boxer will never end, but Mexican star Canelo Alvarez has no doubt who is the sport’s premier performer.
After Teofimo Lopez toppled the widely-regarded P4P No.1 Vasiliy Lomachenko in October, the owner of boxing’s fictional crown became less certain with undisputed lightweight champ Lopez, WBO 147lbs king Terence Crawford, unified bantamweight titleist Naoya Inoue and four-weight champion Canelo all under consideration.
But Alvarez, who meets Callum Smith for the WBA Super 168lbs title on December 19, believes that true boxing aficionados regard him as the best in boxing.
“Those who know more about boxing consider me the best pound-for-pound and that is what matters, and the truth is that I no longer have to prove anything,” Canelo told ESPN Deportes.
“I always come in to demonstrate what I can do. I can never have [everyone] happy, and the truth is that I don’t care about that. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. I’m showing myself that I can have a great career and a great story and that’s what interests me, to show myself that I can be one of the best in boxing history.
“My aim is to retire at 35, but let’s see what my body says. If it’s still strong and ready to continue fighting for two or three years, but my aim is to retire at 35 and dedicate myself to my business and playing golf.”
Main image: Hogan Photos/Golden Boy.