By Jim Calfa: Canelo Alvarez says he’s open to the idea of facing the winner of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith light heavyweight unification fight this December after he first deals with Dmitry Bivol and Gennadiy Golovkin.
Canelo’s promoter Eddie Hearn has talked of the Mexican star fighting WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu or WBA 168-lb mandatory John Ryder in December.
Neither of those fights would do much to attract interest from boxing fans, and it won’t have an impact on Canelo’s legacy.
Ryder isn’t popular enough to move the needle with American fans, and Makabu is seen as a paper champion at cruiserweight, and the weakest link.
If Canelo can fight the Beterbiev-Smith winner this year, he could become the undisputed 175-lb champion right away rather than putting it off to 2023 or 2024, which might make his job tougher.
Becoming a two-division undisputed champion would ensure Canelo’s legacy and pave his way into the boxing Hall of Fame.
“Why not? We’ll see,” said Canelo Alvarez to ESNEWS when asked if he’d be willing to fight the Beterbiev vs. Smith Jr. winner in December.
Team Canelo has vetted Bivol well says Margarito
“Well, we know Canelo is right in the middle of his prime and should win this fight,” said Antonio Margarito to Fight Hub TV on Canelo Alvarez’s May 7th title challenge of WBA 175lb champion Dmitry Bivol.
“Look, I think any fighter can be tricky in the ring, but I think they [Canelo & trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso] have studied him [Bivol], and by selecting him, it shouldn’t be a problem.
“Look, for boxing, Golovkin is past his prime, but it’ll be a good fight because Golovkin brings experience. If Canelo looked good in the second GGG fight, he will look better in this fight,” said Margarito.
It’s not bad that Canelo and Eddy Reynoso vetted Bivol well before making the calculated decision to select him.
Even if Bivol is the weakest of the champions at 175, Canelo will still need to fight the Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. winner if he wants to become the undisputed champion.
Bivol is still a very dangerous opponent for Canelo due to his size, power and boxing skills.
Canelo should give Benavidez a chance
“The only problem is fighters shouldn’t make plans before your current fight because you don’t know what’s going to happen. But I wish Canelo the best of luck.
“Look, in my humble opinion, I believe and not just me, a lot of people want to see him [Canelo] fight [Jermall] Charlo and Benavidez. Benavidez talks a lot, but I’m asking Canelo to give him a shot and give him a chance.
“Why not give him a chance? He’s a good fighter. Canelo is one of the best right now, and he should give whoever the fights. It’s like when I was champ. I would look at the up-and-comers and give them a chance.
“So, why not give him [Benavidez] a chance? A lot of people want to see Benavidez and Charlo [against Canelo]. We know they are hard fights and give great fights to the fans,” said Margarito.
Boxing fans don’t understand why Canelo won’t fight Benavidez, but it would seem kind of obvious why he’s not chosen to fight him. This isn’t about marinating for Canelo, but rather self-preservation.
Canelo sees something in Benavidez’s style that he’s not comfortable with, which is why he seemingly has gone out of his way NOT to fight him.
If Canelo was smart, he would have fought Benavidez two or three years ago when he was only 22, and not the fighter he is today. It would have been a lot easier back then compared to now.
