Mexican icon Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has been viewed as the face of boxing for at least the past five years, although the likes of Gervonta Davis and Terence Crawford have posted recent challenges to that throne.
The undisputed super middleweight world champion is still perhaps the largest commercial draw there is, despite a growing view that he is perhaps on the decline.
Earlier this year super lightweight world champion Regis Prograis said in an interview with ES News that he believed Alvarez was indeed the face of the sport, despite having slipped down the pound for pound rankings slightly.
“Canelo is the man. I think he is still the face of boxing. He might not be number one pound for pound, but he’s still the face of boxing.”
Despite his praise for Alvarez, Prograis has this week claimed that he believes he can unseat him as the face of boxing in the not too distant future.
Speaking to Fight Hub TV, ‘Rougarou’ explained that, provided he gets the right opponents, he can boast the accolade after his next two fights.
“I really feel like I can be the face of boxing, or close to it, in two fights. This fight, then something after than can hopefully be something big also. Ryan, Teo, or someone like that.”
“This is right there for me to grab, I just have to put in the work, which I’ve been doing. I think it’s there for the taking.”
Prograis’ next fight is perhaps the biggest of his entire career, as he defends his WBC world title against undisputed lightweight world champion Devin Haney in December, who looks to assert his dominance at 140lbs the same way he did at the weight class below.