By Ken Hissner: In the super middleweight division Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 58-2-2 with 39 stoppages from Guadalajara, Mexico, became WBA champion in December of 2018, stopping Rocky Fielding, 27-1, in 3 rounds at Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York.
Alvarez added the WBC title in December of 2020, defeating the UK’s Callum “Mundo” Smith, 27-0, at the Alamodome, in San Antonio, Texas.
Alvarez added the WBO title by stopping the UK’s Billy “Superb” Saunders, 30-0, after eight rounds at the AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.
Alvarez added the IBF title in November 2021, stopping Caleb “Sweethands” Plant, 21-0, in 11 rounds at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. That was when he had captured all four titles. In September of 2022, he defended all four in defeating WBA and IBF Middle champ Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, 42-1-1, in their four-year delayed rematch.
Being possibly the biggest draw of attendance in boxing which is Alvarez, the middleweight champions are planning to move up to super middleweight while the top contenders in the four groups are waiting for their shots. In the meantime, he is taking a mandatory rest, if you want to call it that, into 2023 before deciding who his next opponent will be.
Some of the possibilities are WBC No. 1 ranked David Benavidez, 26-0 with 23 stoppages from Phoenix, Arizona. In the WBA a match between Cuban David Morell, Jr., 7-0 with six stoppages out of Minnesota, who defends his portion of the WBA World title on November 5th against Aidos Yerbossynully, 16-0 with 11 stoppages from Kazakhstan out of Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Minneapolis, MN, Armory, could put the winner in line for a shot at Alvarez.
In the WBO, the Latino champ Cuban William “El Indomable” Scull, 19-0 with 9 stoppages out of Argentina in top-ranked. In the IBF, the WBO Middle champ Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, 31-0, of Providence, Rhode Island, with 19 stoppages, was to meet with the UK’s Zach Parker, 22-0, with 16 stoppages, but rumors are Andrade pulled out.
This covers the super middleweights with the possible moving up by WBC Middle champ Jermall “Hit Man” Charlo, 32-0, with 22 stoppages out of Houston, Texas.
Taking a look at the welterweight division with all looking forward to WBO champ Terence “Bud” Crawford, 38-0 with 19 stoppages out of Omaha, Nebraska, meeting WBA, WBC, and IBF champ Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr., 28-0 with 22 stoppages from Desoto, Texas meeting before the year was out.
Crawford’s No. 1 contender is Vergil Ortiz, Jr., 19-0 with 19 stoppages out of Grand Prairie, Texas as well as being the WBA No. 1 contender. The top contender for Spence’s WBC title is former champ Keith “One Time” Thurman, 30-1 with 22 stoppages out of Clearwater, Florida. The IBF No. 1 contender is Jaron “Boots” Ennis, 29-0 with 27 stoppages out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Both Crawford and Spence talked about moving up to super welter after their meeting. The champion there holding all the belts is Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo, 35-1-1 with 19 stoppages out of Houston, Texas.
This writer’s biased opinion is Ennis and possibly Ortiz are the reasons for both Crawford and Spence talking about moving up.
Crawford claims he would fight his No. 2 ranked opponent in Ennis, and Ortiz, in the past, turned down a match with Ennis but seems to have a change of mind with a change in trainers. Both deserve title fights, and that would mean Crawford meeting Ortiz and Spence meeting Ennis. Thurman and Ortiz could meet being No. 1 and No. 2 in the WBC rankings.
Former WBA champ Cuba’s Yordenis “54 Milagros” Ugas, 27-5 with 12 stoppages out of Miami, Florida, is No. 5 in the WBA, and an all-Florida match between him and Thurman would be interesting. The UK’s Connor “The Destroyer” Benn, 21-0 with stoppages holding the WBA Continental title, is another possibility. He is No. 4 in both the WBA and WBO.
I look forward to all comments on future match up’s from the readers. I have to admit to being a big fan of Jaron “Boots” Ennis, trained by his dad “Bozy,” and would like to see a match with Ugas No. 5 in the WBA rankings being he defeated “The New” Ray Robinson, a Philly boxer trained by “Bozy.” An all-Texas match between Spence and Ortiz would be another interesting match.
