By Jim Calfa: Canelo Alvarez was honored with a statue in his hometown of Juanacatlán in Mexico on Monday for his many accomplishments during his 17-year professional career.
In a post on Instagram, the 32-year-old undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo thanked the Juanacatlán for the great “honor” of the statue.
It’s a bit early for Canelo to be receiving statues because, according to some, he’s still in the zenith of his career and has a lot more to accomplish before he hangs up his gloves.
On the other hand, Canelo’s last two performances against 40-year-old Gennadiy Golovkin and Dmitry Bivol suggest otherwise.
Canelo looked like a fading fighter in both of those contests. As the saying goes, ‘You’re only as good as your last performance.’
By Canelo’s last two efforts, he’s on the steep downside of his career, and he might be only two or three fights away from retirement.
If Canelo wants to continue to be idolized by boxing fans, he’s got to turn things around and start looking good once again, as he did in 2021 when he captured the four belts to become the undisputed champion at super middleweight.
“It’s a great honor for me to be recognized in the place that watched me grow up and made me the person I am today. Thanks to the government of Juanacatlán for this recognition and to all the people who attended,” said Canelo Alvarez on Instagram.
Canelo’s fans are less interested in him receiving statues than in seeing him continue to take on the best and, most importantly, avenge his one-sided loss to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
The former four-division world champion Canelo is expected to take a tune-up fight next May on the Cinco de Mayo holiday weekend. According to Canelo’s promoter Eddie Hearn, the opponent could be his WBO 168-lb mandatory John ‘The Gorilla’ Ryder.
Ideally, Hearn wants to bring Canelo over to England to defend his four belts against the 34-year-old Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs).
While fighters like Errol Spence Jr and Ryan Garcia don’t believe in taking tune-ups, apparently, Canelo has no problem with them because he’s expected to face Ryder next.
If not Bivol, fans would like to see Canelo face this murder’s row of talented fighters:
- David Benavidez
- Jermall Charlo
- David Morrell
- Artur Beterbiev
- Demetrius Andrade
- Janibek Alimkhanuly