By Timothy Bladel: Supposing Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defeats WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto on November 21st, the attention will quickly turn to a potential mega fight with Gennady Golovkin (GGG). Both fighters have much to gain from this matchup. However, a win for Canelo catapults him into new territory.
For GGG, it is a shot at The Ring Magazine middleweight lineal title (the man who beat the man), another unification belt, and a marketable name he has been hunting. For Canelo, he gets a shot at solidifying his standing as the next big thing by unifying three middleweight belts, and doing so by taking out one of the most feared men in boxing today. It’s the kind of win that makes legends, an upset victory over a feared fighter – where have we heard this story before?
Canelo has a strong resume for a guy who is only 25 years old, yet how much respect has that garnered him? He isn’t considered a top P4P boxer on most lists. Ring doesn’t have him in the top ten, with guys like Terence Crawford and Kell Brooks making the top ten. ESPN has Canelo at ten, under guys like Timothy Bradley JR. and even Cotto.
“I think the best is yet to come with him,” said Golden Boy Promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
De La Hoya routinely pegs Canelo as the next Floyd Mayweather. Though, Mayweather’s legacy is about more than million plus Pay Pay View buys. It was about carving out a legacy against fighters considered good, really good, and sometimes great. And doing so when the stakes were highest. Fans can judge the path Mayweather took to get there, but they can’t deny he has a legacy most boxers can only dream of.
Now Mayweather is either gone, or he has one foot out the door, and taking on a challenge such as GGG is really too much to ask the 38-year-old, who has 19 years of boxing under his belt, which has earned him that right to fight whomever he chooses. Floyd doesn’t need to take another risk.
However, if Canelo wants to truly take over Floyd’s position, he needs that legacy win, and let’s face it, that man just so happens to be next in line. No, this isn’t the long-past days of being a threat Cotto—despite the Roach infused narrative. Canelo should beat Cotto. To truly be great, Canelo needs to step up and fight GGG at 160. Notice I didn’t say he has to win. Great fighters lose, but they don’t duck their mandatories and hand over their titles.
And imagine if Canelo beat GGG, in Texas, on Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend, in front of thousands of his fans. This is the kind of opportunity that makes legends.
And win or lose, in doing so, Canelo will also live up to his own bravado.
I had a great trip to #Texas. #Dallas and #SanAntonio are beautiful cities. Looking forward to going back some day. pic.twitter.com/E6oP1MLyRB
— Gennady Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) November 9, 2015
“I want to fight the big fights and am not afraid to take risks,” Dan Rafael of ESPN recently quoted Canelo saying. “I believe my fighting style and opponents over the years have shown that. I am here to prove I am the best and the best way to do that is fighting the best.”
It’s not the first time Canelo has made this claim. And it’s likely not to be the last time, from him or his team.
Trainer Eddy Reynoso reiterated the point by saying, “Canelo is a serious fighter who doesn’t take any opponent lightly. He is always ready and willing to fight the best fighters in the sport.”
When discussing GGG, Canelo makes it clear he isn’t afraid.
“I am not afraid of any fighter, but right now I am focused on Cotto,” Canelo said. “Once this fight is over we can move on to the next big fight.”
And De La Hoya has said he’d make the fight, albeit at times with caveats such as “eventually” attached. However, Chris Mannix Tweeted last month that De La Hoya told him if Canelo defeats Cotto, he’d make the GGG fight.
In the past, De La Hoya has stated Canelo wants to fight GGG.
“Canelo is telling me he wants to fight ‘GGG,’ he wants to fight whoever’s out there,” he told Thaboxingvoice.com’s Josh Grayfer last year.
GGG is not only out there, if Canelo beats Cotto, he will be directly in front of him. It’s no secret that Canelo is big enough, despite the rumblings of catch-weights and not being a “full middle weight.” Full middleweight? Canelo is arguably better served by fighting at 160 anyways. It would help his stamina issues. Once you are no longer fighting 154, you’re a middleweight.
And choosing not to fight GGG isn’t without its own downsides. Fans want the fight. And, Canelo will have to vacate the newly won WBC title if he chooses to look past GGG. Vacating a title isn’t a good look, especially when it’s done to duck a specific fighter.
The same fighter you say you are not scared of.
Many boxing scribes don’t think Canelo will fight GGG. They point to the state of Golden Boy Promotions right now as proof it’s not going to happen.
True, Canelo is only 25, and serving him up to a talent such as GGG is a risky proposition. Yet with the lack of talent for Canelo to go after, and the legacy defining nature of this decision, the risk will be worth the reward. And waiting GGG out doesn’t hold the same kind of power. Fans won’t be impressed with a 30-year-old Canelo beating a 38-year-old GGG.
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