Canelo Alvarez fights Dmitry Bivol in Las Vegas this weekend as he takes the next step in a career that could end with him among the greatest fighters of all time – if he chooses the right opponents.
The Mexican avoids talking about any planned retirement date, despite having had 60 pro fights and with him turning 32 in July. But he did offer this chilling warning for all future foes this week: “I need to accomplish everything to be in the history books of boxing. That’s why I’m here.”
Alvarez and his team have followed a meticulous strategy in recent years of moving into a weight division and assessing who the pound-for-pound king can beat for maximum reward, while minimising risk; facing the toughest challenges only at the optimum time. These are the six predicted opponents talkSPORT.com can see Canelo taking next, which would secure his legacy among the best ever.
Dmitry Bivol
Unless a dramatic late injury occurs in the next day or so, meaning Jake or Logan Paul has to be brought in as a late replacement, Alvarez is fighting unbeaten Russian Bivol next. It’s straight from the clever Canelo playbook of picking off what appears a weaker alphabet world champion when he first enters (or in this case returns to) a new weight division.
The 31-year-old WBA belt-holder is no tomato can. He’s a well-schooled boxer, stands four-five inches taller than Canelo and is aiming to make the 10th defence of his title. But while he looked explosive earlier in his career, Bivol’s last six fights have been decision wins and there is a feeling he might just be too one-paced and predictable. Canelo should figure him out.
Gennadiy Golovkin
Make no mistake, the dislike is mutual and real. Canelo turned down a two-fight plan of David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo, opting instead for the Bivol/Golovkin route. The fact is, despite Golovkin turning 40 last month, there is still a public appetite for a third fight in September. Even with his status as boxing’s biggest star, Canelo’s only fights to gross over $100million in revenue are the Floyd Mayweather bout and the two Golovkin contests.
The tightly-contested, action-packed thrillers crossed over into the mainstream. Golovkin has not lost since a close, controversial decision in the pair’s last bout but he is slowing down. While there’s a feeling Canelo will always bring out the best in Triple G, Alvarez likely sees this as a chance to score a conclusive victory – possibly even a late stoppage – to end this trilogy over his greatest rival.
Artur Beterbiev
From the Golovkin fight to the Golovkin strategy. I.e. wait until the biggest threat in any division is slightly past their prime before taking up the challenge. Fearsome, undefeated Russian Beterbiev is the clear no.1 at 175lb combining a rich amateur pedigree with raw KO power (his pro record is a perfect 17-0, 17 KOs).
But Beterbiev has shown signs of slipping since his epic win over Oleksandr Gvozdyk. He’s struggled with injuries throughout his career and turns 38 in January. If the black-bearded puncher gets past Joe Smith Jr in a unification fight June, but again looks a little past his best, expect Canelo to look to make ‘King Artur’ his first foe of 2023 so he can become the first four-belt unified champion in two weight classes. Not easy, but a fight to savour.
Ilunga Makabu
If it isn’t Makabu by late 2023, insert the name of the weakest cruiserweight alphabet belt-holder here (sorry, Ilunga). This fight surprisingly looked on late last year when Canelo’s trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso submitted an application to the WBC to secure a world title fight. Canelo claimed he knew nothing about it and the story disappeared. But in a way, Makabu absolutely fits the Canelo gameplan.
The Congolese southpaw, who was stopped by Tony Bellew in 2016, has rebounded to win 10 in a row since. But he sneaked a split-decision over Thabiso Mchunu in January and is clearly a vulnerable champion. If he still holds his WBC strap next year, Canelo can – despite the size difference – pick off a world title in a fifth weight class with a win (though do not expect it to take place in Africa as a “second Rumble in the Jungle” as Makabu’s promoter Don King has suggested).
Mairis Briedis
A tricky one to call, as Briedis is the clear cruiserweight no.1 with an impressive 28-1 record and yet is not the kind of superstar name who will necessarily give Canelo a megafight in late 2023 or early 2024. But ‘The Latvian Punisher’ is also 37 years old and while he has a style that should age well, Alvarez may – if Briedis does not retire or lose first (he faces Jai Opetaia later this month) – he could well come onto Canelo’s radar.
Why? History. Canelo has been a lineal champion in two weight classes, middleweight and super-middleweight, and clearly aims to do the same at light-heavyweight. If Alvarez, who looks stocky enough to just about go up to cruiserweight, defeats Briedis (or his conqueror), he would become an unprecedented four-weight lineal champion. In terms of becoming not just the best of this generation but one of the best ever, this kind of victory could swing it.
Oleksandr Usyk
Yes, we’re serious. And if not Usyk, then perhaps Joseph Parker if he can snag another heavyweight world title belt or Andy Ruiz Jr if he can turn his career around. The fact is there’s one thing Canelo can do to truly bring a new level of greatness to his career: somehow pick off a (smaller) heavyweight world champion.
The idea of Canelo fighting a Tyson Fury or any super-sized heavyweight is, of course, ridiculous. At around 5ft 8in he is far too small, even for a boxer who has filled out in recent years. But Canelo will look at the example of Roy Jones Jr – a smaller light-heavyweight (one who peaked at 168lb) – who leapt up to heavyweight in 2003 to dethrone John Ruiz. That made Jones a champion in weight classes from middleweight to heavyweight and, if RJJ had retired then and there, some would have argued that he was perhaps boxing’s greatest ever.
Usyk is no Ruiz, he’s one of the best boxers on the planet. But he is also 35 and, in reality, a natural cruiserweight. If he – or any smaller heavyweight title-holder – shows signs of slipping in two-three years time, it would be no surprise if Canelo took the risk. No fighter has ever gone from being a light-middleweight world champion to a heavyweight champ. If Canelo could ever pull it off it would be unique, groundbreaking and spark genuine debate about whether ‘is boxing’s best ever.
Thoughts?
