Erislandy Lara, at 41, is still a problem – but what is his endgame?

When analyzing the long arc of middleweight titleholder Erislandy Lara’s career, context is everything. To casual fans, he may be just another fighter. But to the hardcore fight crowd, the 41-year-old Lara is quite literally a national treasure.

That Lara (31-3-3, 19 KOs) picked up a ninth-round TKO over 36-year-old Danny Garcia (37-4, 21 KOs) on Saturday at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena was a notable development, but it’s not the lead. The most significant takeaway from the matchup is that Lara, even at 41, is still a problem. For most of his career, opponents dodged him, and now, even in light of his diminished mobility, his challengers are no more eager to face him. He might still be the best middleweight in the world.

Lara’s journey started inside Cuba’s legendary boxing system. He was a favorite for the 2008 Beijing Olympics before defecting – twice. After a failed first attempt following the Pan American Games, he finally made it, in February 2009, crossing to Mexico by boat – a story straight out of Hollywood. But Lara’s story offers substance and drama. His pro career began in Turkey, transitioned through Germany and finally landed in Primm, Nevada. Early Lara? Slick defense, constant movement and a lethal left hand. Critics called it “running,” but if you pressed too hard, Lara would put you to sleep. This is a theme of his career, by the way.

His first big moment came in 2011 in a controversial draw against Carlos Molina. Not many watched it live on “Friday Night Fights,” but those who did still debate the result. Molina outlanded Lara, but the fight ended in a majority draw – a trivia question more than a highlight, and one of Lara’s three career draws.

The fight that truly put Lara on the map? His 2011 bout with Paul Williams. Williams, a 6-foot-1 southpaw who threw 1,000 punches a fight, and who had to move up and down weight classes to find fights, was coming off a knockout loss to Sergio Martinez. Lara outboxed him, plain and simple, but the judges somehow saw fit to hand Williams the win, in what is still one of the most egregious decisions in modern boxing history.

From there, Lara’s career became a frustrating mix of missed opportunities and avoided challenges. He had a technical draw with Vanes Martirosyan and a wild brawl with Alfredo Angulo, who dropped Lara twice before getting stopped in the 10th round. Lara then soundly outpointed Austin Trout, one of the most underrated fighters of the era, setting up his biggest test yet: a 2014 pay-per-view clash with Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. While many thought Lara won, his cautious style let Canelo dictate the action with body shots and pressure. The judges favored aggression, giving Canelo the nod.

That fight solidified Lara’s reputation as boxing’s boogeyman – a high-risk, low-reward proposition for opponents. Over his next six bouts, Lara faced names like Ishe Smith, Delvin Rodriguez, Jan Zaveck, Martirosyan (again), Yuri Foreman and Terrell Gausha – solid fighters, but not the marquee matchups he had rightfully earned. In the process, he won the WBA junior middleweight title. Fighters weren’t necessarily afraid of him, but they knew that a fight with Lara meant looking bad, win or lose. It’s no wonder Gennady Golovkin passed on a bout with Lara in favor of bigger paydays, like the eventual Canelo fight.

In 2018 and 2019, Lara hit a rough patch. Jarrett Hurd defeated him by split decision, taking his WBA junior middleweight title using size, volume and brute force. Brian Castano held him to a draw, leveraging simple fundamentals and relentless pressure to keep Lara from taking control.

Lara continued on, stopping Canelo’s brother Ramon Alvarez, knocking out Thomas LaManna for the WBA middleweight title and dispatching Gary “Spike” O’Sullivan, Michael Zerafa and now Garcia. The list of Lara’s opponents lacks wattage, but that speaks more to the reluctance of star-caliber foes to face him rather than any decline in Lara’s skill.

Like countryman Guillermo Rigondeaux, Lara walks a fine line between boring and brilliant, as capable of dazzling displays as they are of stretches in which they stink up a fight. Cuba, often stereotyped for mass-producing boring fighters, doesn’t get enough credit for having produced more than its share of defensive masters. And lately, it has also delivered the likes of lightning strikes such as Andy Cruz and David Morrell, who appear to be in the process of breaking the old mold.

What often gets overlooked in Lara’s story is that he has been more entertaining than is often remembered. His fight with Canelo – which came 10 years ago, by the way – was dramatic. His bout with Angulo, in 2013, was one of the year’s best. His war with Hurd in 2018? A genuine thriller. For a fighter pegged as boring, Lara can stake a claim to two Fight of the Year candidates and several Knockout of the Year-worthy moments. Martirosyan, an outstanding amateur who lost only to Lara, Demetrius Andrade, Jermell Charlo and Golovkin, was another underrated win during that era. Add to that Lara’s nine successful title defenses across two weight classes, and the picture starts to change.

After his latest win, Lara likened his performance to fine art.

“I felt I boxed beautifully,” Lara said after the Garcia fight. “It was a work of art, like a Picasso. I negated everything Danny had. He’s a great fighter and a Hall of Famer, just like me. I used lateral movement and a long jab, just like they teach at the Cuban school of boxing.”

So, what’s next? Lara has talked about unifying titles, but WBC titleholder Carlos Adames has already stated he won’t fight Lara, out of respect. Meanwhile, Janibek Alimkhanuly, the WBO and IBF belt holder, has a mandatory defense on the horizon. Lara remains unfazed. He’s not chasing paydays or making wild callouts – at 41, he still believes there’s plenty left in the tank.

Lara’s win over Garcia wasn’t a barnburner, but it was another reminder of just how overlooked he is. Could his ultimate goal be to break Bernard Hopkins’ record as the oldest champion, at 46? Five more years of Lara isn’t impossible, and judging by his demeanor at the post-fight press conference, he certainly doesn’t sound like a man thinking of retirement. Yet, that is all just speculation.

“I’m ready for the next challenge,” Lara said. “I’m here to stay. I have a lot of boxing left in me.”

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.