Saul Alvarez needs to prove himself against better opposition
November 27th, 2011
By Allen Fox: WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez added another scalp to his flimsy resume with a win over a shot looking Kermit Cintron last night in Mexico. A lot of boxing fans are excited about Alvarez all of a sudden and see him a star in the making.
Of course, he’ll lose the fight because he’s nowhere near as good as Mayweather is. However, it would give Alvarez a big payday and it would make him known worldwide instead of mainly just Mexico. But Alvarez has got to start facing the best fighters in the junior middleweight division if he wants to prove something. If you look at Alvarez’s last eight opponents you’ll notice that it’s not a very impressive list. Here are the last eight guys that Alvarez has fought:
Kermit Cintron
Alfonso Gomez
Ryan Rhodes
Matthew Hatton
Lovemore N’dou
Carlos Baldomir
Luciano Leonel Cuello
Jose Miguel Cotto
Now those are decent fringe contenders and/or 2nd tier fighters but no one there was really a threat to Alvarez. He was put in with mostly soft opposition by his promoters, who still appear to be protecting him for some reason despite the fact that he holds a major world title. Once Alvarez became a world champion, he really needed to start facing the best fighters instead of being put in with set up fights that he could win without any problems.
If Alvarez wants to prove himself to boxing fans he needs to fight the following guys:
Miguel Cotto
Antonio Margarito
Erislandy Lara
Sergiy Dzinziruk
Austin Trout
Vanes Martirosyan
Cornelius Bundradge
Carlos Molina
James Kirkland
Alfredo Angulo
Paul Williams
Pawel Wolak
Do I see Alvarez fighting any of these guys in 2012? Nope. I think Alvarez is being protected and what we’ll see in the future will be pretty much a repeat of things in the past with him. In other words, Alvarez will continue to be carefully matched with the exception of a payday bout against Mayweather possibly, which won’t tell us anything about Alvarez. We already know he can’t beat Mayweather. What we want to know is whether Alvarez can beat the the top 12 guys in the junior middleweight division.
Tags: 19 Responses to “Saul Alvarez needs to prove himself against better opposition”
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take Canelo’s record with a grain of salt. I think he’s pro since he was 15 or 16. So he has no amatuer background. His amatuer background was in profights. So in reality he is only 12 – 0 experience wise. Maybe 20 -0 depending on how many 4 rd fights he had. I’m not knocking him but he needs to really get some more rounds in. I wouldnt mind if he took on another 5 or 6 cupcakes before really stepping up
Cotto must be next
Lara next. then Kirkland or Rubio. great fights i think. and Canelo beats all of them.
Alvarez is a future star!! But for now he needs to stay away from Lara, Williams, & especially Kirkland. I’d like to see him fight Angulo, Cotto, or Wolak.
I agree, that Canelo should fight better qualified top contenders. But in response to the comment that Canelo’s fight will be a big payday for him if he fights Floyd. It’s Floyd who will get a large payday against Canelo. Did you notice the large sold out arena? Now image all the loyal Mexican fans who will pay to see hime against Floyd? Floyd cannot generate large PPV w/o fighting a known fighter or a fighter from a different country with a strong fan base. Why do you think Floyd always tries to rally “Americans” to support him.
Saul is indeed strong but realy untested by the young elites like himself.not Bradley he is a jr welterwieght.Kirkland well kirkland won,t let him get off like Kermit did he will be in his face and punching with as much authority.
alvarez wants a test he shud fight european champ gregorz proska!! he is 26-0, and a big puncher! this wud be a great fight
I agree another good fight for him would be Mosley lololololol
It’s mugs like you Matt that keep the likes of Goldengirl laughing all the way to the bank.
Canelo is another Khan aka a protected fighter
I agree I good fight next for him would be against Shane Mosley.
Both Bradley and Kirkland would get KTFO by Canelo. Mayweather makes plenty sense. But this is a dangerous fight for floyd and its about time he steps his game up
Flimsy record?!! The lad’s 21 for f**ks sake! Give him a chance.
The guy looks like he is something special, so I wonder why after 39 fights they still don’t want to match him up with a boxer with pulse.
Before we start putting Alvarez on the headlines of PPV cards lets test
him I mean really test him…um saying KIRKLAND, lets find out for real
man put Alvarez in there with BRADLEY, so we can really know, cause
um not sold cause he beat up a NOBODY, so tell Oscar to shut up an
put Alvarez in there with Kirkland first an then Bradley some REAL UP
AN COMING SKILLED FIGHTERS
Haters are going to hate.
Example; people hate on floyd n Manny.
Just remember neither floyd or Manny were fighting big names at age 21
I think De La Hoya will talk Mosley into a fight w/ Canelo at 154. SSM was never good at 154 and it gives Canelo a big name but looks riskier than it really is. Real boxing fans know SHane is washed up, but lay fans might think he still has something left. And Canelo fans don’t care who he fights. This could be a PPV, or at the least could sellout Staples Center. If the Cotto/Margarito fight really grinds them two down then maybe Canelo fights one of them
Saul Alvarez is an Elite fighter at age 21 Wow this kid can box he is the real deal. so no i don’t agree with the writer’s comment.
Don’t hate on Alveraz. He’s the best!
YOU FORGOT KAHN AND PETERSON.
***
No I didn’t. Khan and Peterson fight in the light welterweight division, not the junior middleweight class. I wouldn’t expect either of them to step up and get slaughtered by Alvarez. While I think Alvarez is vulnerable, he’s clearly good enough to destroy both Khan and Peterson without breaking a sweat.