One of the biggest names in boxing, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, returns to the ring this weekend to face fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia in a Cinco de Mayo bout.
Alvarez (60-2-2) has made his Cinco de Mayo weekend fights something of a habit, and the super middleweight champion and his four belts are a perennial attraction for fans. The fight reportedly earns him up to $35 million, and fireworks have already been set off at Thursday's (AEST) press conference, where he got into a heated war of words with fellow legend Oscar De La Hoya.
But the future Hall of Famer, who built his legacy by dominating the most competitive matches against the biggest names and winning most of them, has drawn more criticism for his choice of opponent ahead of this weekend's bout. ing.
Boxing: Canelo V Munguia Mexican superstars clash for super middleweight world title | Sunday May 5th 10am AEST | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
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Munguia (43-0) is certainly no big deal. He boasts good hand speed, powerful combinations, and incredible power output that could trouble Canelo.
However, the former WBO light middleweight (super welterweight) champion weighs in at 168 pounds and is considered one division below some of Alvarez's other potential opponents.
The 27-year-old is the No. 1-ranked challenger in the WBO and WBC rankings but has yet to establish himself among boxing's elite, but a huge upset victory at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas could help. will change.
“This is a great opportunity for me to make a name for myself and build a great legacy,” Munguia said recently.
Munguia, even though he doesn't have the weight class to match the only two fighters who have beaten Canelo in the past (Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 152 pounds in 2013 and Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight in 2022). There is reason to believe that there is a chance of victory.
Munguia is a busier fighter than Canelo, and even though his abilities have declined in recent years, his accuracy remains outstanding. When fighting John Ryder a year ago this Cinco de Mayo weekend, Alvarez landed 179 of 459 punches per CompuBox.
In his most recent fight against Jermell Charlo in September, he dropped even further to 134 wins out of 385.
His output has dropped significantly, especially when compared to the 202 of 622 punches he landed in his 2018 rematch with the great Gennady Golovkin.
Boxing: Canelo V Munguia Mexican superstars clash for super middleweight world title | Sunday May 5th 10am AEST | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Let's compare that to Munguia. According to CompuBox, he faced Gabriel Rosado in 2021 and landed a whopping 328 of his 821 punches. In his fight against Sergiy Derevyanchenko last June, he landed 189 of 800 punches.
The biggest question mark, as has been the case every time Canelo has stepped into the ring lately, is how much the aging superstar has slowed down.
Fans and pundits are openly wondering if Alvarez has surpassed his best and is in a position to win now, but of course they're still paying attention.
Munguia's combination punches and powerful punching power have resulted in 34 KOs in his 43 wins, but he is also vulnerable to Alvarez's devastating counter-punching ability.
Munguia pitches a lot, but that also means he gives a lot back. That could be his downfall against Alvarez, as Las Vegas bookmakers predict.
Canelo's heavy favoritism reflects the biggest criticism leveled at pay-per-view superstars: He's fighting whoever he wants. should Beat it, not a true 50/50 challenge.
For two years now, there has been one name that has followed Alvarez constantly: David Benavidez.
Benavidez held the WBC super middleweight title from 2017 to 2018, but was stripped of it after testing positive for cocaine. He regained the title in 2019-2020, but was stripped again because the weigh-in was too heavy for his title defense.
However, he won the interim belt in 2022, defeating Caleb Plant last March to retain that title and his status as the mandatory challenger to Alvarez's WBC belt.
Benavidez, 27, called out to Alvarez after the match. He was an obvious pick, an outstanding candidate, and his impressive win over the superior plant proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was ready and worthy of the chance.
But Alvarez firmly answered no over and over again, adding that he would only accept the fight if the promoter offered him between $150 million and $200 million.
Benavidez then claimed that promoters offered Alvarez $60 million in guarantees and pay-per-view revenue.
“Before he asked for 200 million, the offer my promotion company made to him was 60 million,” Benavidez said. “How much more is he going to make in PPV money? Because on pay-per-view, he can make even more money later on. The guaranteed amount alone was 60 million.”
Canelo rejected the offer.
Benavidez defended his interim belt in November by defeating Demetrius Andrade, further solidifying his status as Canelo's obvious challenger.
However, realizing that Alvarez refused to fight him, Benavidez moved up a weight class and was scheduled to fight former WBC light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the organization's interim belt in June.
In February, David Benavidez's promoter Sampson Lukovic claimed Alvarez's legacy would be “sullied” by not fighting the undefeated 27-year-old.
“Canelo Alvarez has left his legacy behind and his legacy will be tarnished because he is not having his best fight at the moment with Benavidez,” Lukovic claimed.
“I think someday my children, maybe my grandchildren, will ask me why I didn't fight Benavidez. [Canelo] He says he wants the best fight, and that's the best fight. ”
Former two-division champion Andre Ward said in March that not fighting Benavidez would “absolutely” hurt Alvarez's legacy.
“That's right,” Ward told The Breakfast Club. “Canelo fans often say they hate me, but I’m telling the truth.
“When he fought Kovalev, Kovalev was being cooked. He wasn't 'The Crusher.' He wasn't an undefeated guy. He has lost it. I'm not trying to deny the hustle, but if you start saying things like, “I'm the best fighter in the world,” you'll lose me.
“They say everyone else has to give their best fight or they lose me.
“Canelo is a really good fighter, but you don't know how good you are until you fight against the best.”
But Alvarez hit back at claims last month that Benavidez is a “suck”, saying: “Yes, Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout, Floyd Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, Daniel. Jacobs, Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, it’s always been that way.”
“At the end of the day, I beat almost all of them. If I beat Benavidez, they're going to say, 'Oh, why don't you face this other guy?'
“Look at my history, I've done everything in boxing. I've done it all.”
That's true enough.
But for a man who has built a legend on taking tough fights, his approach appears to be changing, as evidenced by the fighters on his list.
Canelo said in an interview with Fight Hub: “I'm fighting any fighter and making good money, so this time I can do whatever I want. I've done everything in my career, so it's natural for me to be in this position.” . tv set.
But Canelo hasn't fought a true elite since losing to Bivol in 2022. At that game, he seemed disappointed long before the final bell or scorecard was read.
Canelo did not seek a rematch after Bivol's loss.
He even rejected pound-for-pound superstar Terrence Crawford. Crawford declared that he wanted to move up significantly in weight to fight Alvarez in a fight that would be a huge payday and an all-time legacy.
At 33 years old, Canelo may not think he's quite the same fighter as before. However, from an outsider's perspective, the most frustrating thing is not the difference in skills but the mentality.
He is a man who left behind a legend that will still be remembered in history books.
But he has no intention of adding to that feat against an opponent like Munguia. Munguia is a man hungry to start making his mark and earn a place among boxing's elite.
If Munguia wins this weekend, Benavidez will be the first name on everyone's list. Also.
But Alvarez doesn't seem willing to take that risk.
The fight-anyone attitude that made him a legend seems to have disappeared.
The question that remains is whether or when skills will also be on display.
Boxing: Canelo V Munguia Mexican superstars clash for super middleweight world title | Sunday May 5th 10am AEST | Order now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.