Canelo Alvarez, the pride of Guadalajara and one of boxing’s most formidable champions stands at a crucial juncture in his illustrious career. Having conquered multiple weight classes and solidified his status as a pound-for-pound king, the question on everyone’s mind is: who should the Mexican star fight next? However, his most recent clash failed and ended up being somewhat of a disappointment.
With a plethora of tantalizing options available to him, the reigning undisputed super middleweight king opted for a bout against unheralded compatriot Jaime Munguia in a clash that did little to whet the appetite. Admittedly the 27-year-old was unbeaten in 43 bouts before the contest however, the most recognizable names on his resume came in the form of 37-year-old Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Britain’s John Ryder, who was comfortably dispatched by Canelo seven months prior.
The latest boxing betting at Bovada odds made boxing’s pay-per-view king a huge -500 betting favorite to retain his crown, and he duly delivered, comfortably winning a shutout unanimous decision. Now, however, attention has turned to what’s next, and the pressure is being placed on Canelo to fight a credible opponent. So, we’ve picked out three men he should consider facing next if he wants to avoid the critics and solidify his legacy.
David Benavidez
David Benavidez
Of course, the fight that the boxing world is now clamoring for – and has been for some time – is a mouthwatering matchup against the giant David Benavidez. Nicknamed The Monster and for good reason, the 27-year-old has long been seen as Canelo’s toughest challenge yet. He has been the obvious choice to battle it out for all the gold at 168 pounds for some time, and dominant back-to-back victories over former champions Caleb Plant and Demetrius Andrade have only strengthened his claim.
He is the current interim WBC champion, and a unification clash should be on the horizon. However, Canelo has other ideas. Despite the pressure ramping up on him to finally agree on a fight with the Arzona-born star, the current king seemingly wants no part of it. His recent statement saying that it would require $200m to face off with Benavidez only strengthens the argument that he is ducking his potential nemesis.
A fight between Canelo and Benavidez would be a clash of two Mexican warriors, each with something to prove. For the former, it would be an opportunity to silence critics questioning his dominance at super middleweight. For the latter, it’s the chance to dethrone the king establish himself as the premier fighter in the division, and bag himself the tens of millions of dollars that come with it. His aggressive style, powerful combinations, and granite chin make him a significant threat to anyone he faces, while standing at 6’1″ and with a reach advantage, he would bring physicality into the ring that Canelo may be unable to handle.
Dmitry Bivol
Only two men have beaten Canelo throughout his storied career. One of them is Floyd Mayweather, who picked apart a youthful version of the Mexican back in 2013. The other is Russia’s reigning WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, who handed him a rare defeat in their previous encounter in May 2022.
With Alvarez going up in weight, many expected him to handily defeat the undefeated former amateur star similar to how he did with his compatriot Sergei Kovalev two and a half years prior. But Bivol had other ideas.
His technical proficiency, footwork, and disciplined jab proved too much for Canelo, who struggled to impose his will as he had done previously, despite the step up in weight. The Mexican attempted to lure Bivol in time and again however, the champion remained disciplined and continued to pepper away from the outside en route to a lopsided decision victory. And in the two years since their clash, he has continued to rack up victories.
Gilberto Ramírez, Lyndon Arthur, and Malik Zinad have all stepped up and have all been sent packing. Now, fans are awaiting a blockbuster unification fight between Bivol and fellow Russian Arthur Beterbiev. However, should Canelo come calling for a rematch with millions of dollars on the line, that unification clash will surely have to be put on the back burner once more.
A Canelo-Bivol rematch carries significant narrative and the intrigue lies in whether Canelo can crack the Bivol code. Fans love a good redemption story, and this fight provides just that for the Mexican ace. However, if he is defeated once more, surely that will leave a stain on his legacy like no other.
Terence Crawford
Terence Crawford, the former undisputed welterweight champion solidified his status as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world when he viciously knocked out Errol Spence Jr. last July to claim all the gold at 147 pounds.
In the year since his legacy-making victory, the alphabet belts have been split up, with Mario Barrios claiming the WBC strap and Jaron Ennis securing IBF gold. But for “Bud,” he now has his eyes on lucrative matchups, and they don’t come much more lucrative than facing off with Canelo.
A Canelo-Crawford fight transcends traditional weight class boundaries, creating a spectacle around two of the sport’s best talents. It’s a legacy-defining move for the welterweight star, testing his skills against a bigger, stronger opponent.
For his potential opponent, it’s an opportunity to further cement his status by defeating another pound-for-pound great. However, should he choose this option, he will come in for plenty of criticism and face a much smaller man once again, just as he did last September when he faced and beat Jermell Charlo.
