By Dan Ambrose: WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (39-0-1, 29 KO’s) is building up quite a reputation for taking on the lower hanging fruit rather than reaching up to take the best in the highest branches of the junior middleweight division. Whether that’s his doing or that of his promoters at Golden Boy isn’t really important right now. What is important is that Alvarez isn’t taking on really tough opposition still despite having defending his World Boxing Council strap three times.
To be sure, Alvarez has defended the title three times successfully, which is an admirable thing, but look at who he’s done it against: Ryan Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron. Where’s the quality control? Is Alvarez just being give setup fights to pick up a bunch of empty wins before he’s cashed out against a good fighter that can take him apart, or is this a strategic plan for him to learn from facing the lesser fighters despite the fact that he’s now the champion and is expected to take on the best challengers from time to time. I know how the boxing world works.
A fighter picks up a belt, and often defends it against the least threatening opponent possible for the voluntary defenses and is forced to take on a quality fighter from time to time when defending it against mandatory challengers. But where and when is Alvarez going to finally face a good opponent? In the latest news, Alvarez is calling out Floyd Mayweather Jr. and yet he still has never faced a top guy in his division. How is that? Alvarez doesn’t deserve a fight against Mayweather, not for a second. If Alvarez isn’t going to take on the best in the division, why should be get a fight against Mayweather and be rewarded?
I want to see Alvarez fight guys like James Kirkland, Erislandy Lara, Sergiy Dzinziruk, Paul Williams, and Vanes Martirosyan. So will it happen? Probably not. I think Alvarez is being kept in the slow lane, away from the dangerous fights in order to protect him like he’s someone that needs to be protected. I just don’t know why HBO is putting his fights on television. I mean if they’re only selectively putting the Kltischko brother’s fights on their network when they’re positive the Klitschkos are matched up against someone that will make for a compelling fight, then why aren’t they doing this with Alvarez? Thus far in this year alone, Alvarez has had four televised mismatches. Why is he allowed to do this?
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