Believe him or not, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez maintains that his career vision is more of an event-by-event analysis rather than a grand plan extending years into the future.
Despite the angst that may cause others, the sport’s most popular fighter has relied on his own reasons this year to wait out the possible future tasks of meeting unbeaten light heavyweights David Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol, and to instead turn toward a pair of 27-year-old super middleweight contenders whose combined knockout rate is just under 75 percent.
In a recent interview with BoxingScene, Alvarez, 34, was asked if he decided earlier this year to meet Mexican countryman Jaime Munguia in May and the unbeaten knockout artist with Puerto Rican roots, Edgar Berlanga, on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas to prove he could handle young, strong fighters who could ensure Alvarez could still defeat them in an action fight as he gets older.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about with my age,” Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) responded. “I think I’m in my prime right now, and I’ve showed that in every single fight. I had an injury in my hand [two years ago] and [was] looking different, but, you know, I’ve showed everybody I’m in my prime. I’m still young.”
Against Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs), Alvarez knocked down the challenger in the fourth round and admits he backed off from finishing him in the 12th because he both “enjoyed the fight” and didn’t want to embarrass Munguia after producing an entertaining scrap.
Munguia returns to the ring Sept. 20 in an Arizona main event against unbeaten Erik Bazinyan.
Such considerations are not expected with Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs), who verbally sparred with Alvarez at their news conference in Beverly Hills, California, and is being advised to fight unleashed against the longtime pound-for-pound elite.
Could such a strategy from the younger challenger, standing 5½ inches taller and with a greater reach, lead to Alvarez’s defeat?
“You know, this is boxing, but you know I am the best fighter in the world, so it’s going to be difficult to do something [like that] with me,” Alvarez said. “That’s why I take training serious. Because I’m not overlooking any opponent. I’m 100 percent focused on Berlanga. It’s nothing new for me. I’ve been in there with all kinds of fighters – some difficult, [some] bigger than me. I’m ready for anything.”
Or he feels he can make time to become ready for anything.
Alvarez made clear in his interview that he knows more about the light heavyweight talent than the new crop of super middleweights.
While he lost a narrow unanimous decision to Bivol in May 2022 while fighting for the Russian’s WBA 175-pound belt, Alvarez has been peppered with questions and criticism for not fighting Phoenix’s unbeaten former super middleweight champion David Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs), who in June moved up a division and will return to take a 175-pound fight Dec. 14 against a yet-to-be-named foe.
Asked what he thinks of the developing super middleweight talent in unbeaten WBC No. 1 contender Christian Mbilli, top-ranked WBO contender Diego Pacheco and IBF title contender Vladimir Shishkin, Alvarez bluntly responded, “I don’t really know.
“I just go fight by fight. Right now, I’m 100 percent focused on Berlanga and then I’ll come to other opponents in the future. I just focus fight by fight, not [future] fights.
“Every single day, I try to prove that I’m the very best. In training. In every single thing I do – to prove to myself that I am the best.”
Might that mean he is succumbing to public pressure to seek a bout that removes him from the prohibitive favorite role that he has enjoyed in this year’s bouts?
Alvarez insists he doesn’t let the noise get to him.
“You need to take all of that, absorb it and then let it go,” he said.
“I know who I am. I know what I’ve accomplished. I’m just the best. I know that. That’s the only thing I care about. I hear everything. I grab it, I take it and then let it go.”
And then he makes a decision on his terms.
Alvarez emphasized that when discussing both the challenge of returning to 175 pounds and by working with Saudi Arabia’s power broker Turki Alalshikh, who has chided Alvarez’s opponent selection.
Of going after the undisputed light heavyweight title, Alvarez indicated he’ll be watching who owns that claim following the Oct. 12 undisputed bout pitting Bivol against unbeaten three-belt countryman Artur Beterbiev.
“You never know,” Alvarez said. “There’s always a possibility. If Bivol wins that fight, I’d like to take that chance for the rematch.”
Working with Alalshikh is less certain.
“I never say never,” Alvarez said. “We’ll see. Who knows? Maybe in the future.”
What he wanted the Saudis to know is that the decision will arrive when Alvarez is ready to make it.
“I’m not begging anyone, and I’m in no hurry,” he said.
Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
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