By Gabriel F. Cordero
WBC and WBA super middleweight world champion Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) is expected to face WBC mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) on February 27 at a site to be named in the United States.
Some sources claim that Canelo has reached an agreement with Matchroom Boxing and will defend his belts against Yildirim in Miami, Florida. Matchroom would then stage Canelo vs. Billy Joe Saunders in May.
Oh boy. Nothing like mandatories
Canelo is a good fighter and great belt holder but fighting countless class B opponents should never make him p4p elite. All boxing legends have said ( in order to be the best, you have to beat the best ).
I used to be a hater. Mainly, I wanted him to pick a Division and prove he’s the real champion of said Division. He seems to be doing that at 168. He beat the man most considered the best in Callum Smith and it was a beating, so why be mad at him fighting a mandatory prior to his next belt holder conquest?
Canelo was in training camp for 2-3 months before he announced Callum Smith as his next opponent 3 weeks before the fight. Of course Smith was training to stay in shape because he didn’t know who he’d fight next but Canelo took the fight knowing CS wasn’t training that long. Good win for Canelo but needs to make his fights announced 2-3 months in advanced so his opponent can have a fair camp.
Weak complaint considering the physical advantages Smith has. No one held a gun to Smith and I am sure his people had no idea they were in line for a Canelo shot until last second
floyd and manny beat alot of b opponents but people like you still make them p4p elite you are just a canelo hater those guys time has passed and to them and there fans good ridance
I guess Yildirim knew about it and is going to be well prepared for this fight. Also I hope that for any reason he can’t take this fight and Canelo be ordered to face the next in line, a man named David Benavidez
Canelo would never fight David Benavidez unless he fights him at a catch weight. Benavidez would beat Canelo.
How is this guy mandatory. He lost his only 2 signifigant fights. Stopped in 3 against Eubank years ago and hasnt had a sig win since. Boxing has become a joke
For the haters:
List of Big Names Canelo has fought:
Shane Mosley
Austin Trout (undefeated champ)
Erislandy Lara
James Kirkland (1 loss)
Miguel Cotto
Floyd Mayweather
Liam Smith (undefeated champ)
GGG (undefeated champ 2)
Rocky Fielding (1 loss Champ)
Danny Jacobs
Sergei Kovalev (175 giant champ)
Callum Smith (undefeated champ)
This list doesn’t include comparable prospects that he fought as a 17 year old or the likes of Josesito Lopez, Amir Khan, Kermit Cintron, Perro Angulo, Euri Gonzalez, Miguel “Titere” Vasquez…
A very complete and comprehensive list of a Who’s Who from Welter to LHW…..
Only current active fighters with similar and/or better resumes:
Pacquiao
Roman Chicolatito Gonzalez
Right what you say Beto (thumbs up), but you have to understand that at the level Canelo had reached, Yildirim is an unheralded, highly undeserved opponent. The excuse he is a mandatory, is merely a reason from the WBC to have an easy opponent for him, but Yildirim credentials are really disgraceful, I like Canelo and for his own sake and legacy, IMO, a better opponent at 168 should have been chosen.
FACTS, real boxing fans know what they are experiencing: GREATNESS! Canelo is a beast. B E A S T
More like B E A T C H haha
Yeah but Kovalev had weeks to prepare seeing that he had just fought prior to Canelo. GGG beat him twice. Lara should have won, Callum Smith had weeks to train while Canelo was secretly in training camp weeks before he mention Callum as his next opponent. Canelo’s good, but he’s no Mexican Warrior, just a typical B fighter at best for now.
#Nothating
Hi
In the beginning of his career he fought the best..then he took the Mayweather.. dodge the best approach and has been largely cherry picking after he lost to Mayweather…if he had fought GGG when GGG was in his prime he would have lost handily..as it was most feel he lost at least one of those matches and no one honestly can state the judging was not off in those fights…I have been watching all combat sports for 50 years and could care less about names… just want the best to fight the best and clearly he is not doing that now just protecting his money access like Mayweather did…most fighters of today can not compare to the best of the past as for political reasons the best do not always fight the best now…but if they want to improve and gain true legacy they need to this…rematches and rivalries made the fighters of old legends ..a loss is OK..it is how do you come back from it…fighters today are too scared to lose …most of the best legends lost but it is when they came back and won that made them great…yes for the record Pac Man would have easily beat Mayweather if they fought in their prime…look at their common foes..Mayweather beat them Pac Man destroyed and retired them..Mayweather’s excuses for avoiding him were beyond lame ..he was clearly afraid of a loss..but if he had lost their would have been rematches and what a legacy could have happened then..the question is would his ego have recovered from it..could he have comeback ?..would he have been a Prince Naseem?…money is not everything but that is what he chased and should be remembered for that…never a P4P great which I think he is not..a good fighter but many greater..because he ducked he never gave him self a chance to be a P4P best
Agree with about everything you said, except for Manny “easily” beating Floyd. Manny did do better against their common foes, but as you know, styles make fights. I believe Floyd would have given him trouble with both in their primes, and had may have out-boxed Manny. Just wish that fight could have been made immediately after Manny took out Hatton. Both were in their primes at that point. Would have been an absolutely great matchup. The fight we eventually got from the two was garbage.
The WBC really knows how to protect their fighters with these silly mandatories. Avni Yildirim gets destroyed by Chris Eubank Jr, then goes 5-1 while his last 5 opponents had a compined record of 123 wins 61 losses and then losses his last fight and is mandatory for Canelo? Can anyone agree just how pathetic and silly this organization is? lol
Interesting points…..however, if we’re judging Canelo by quality of opposition….. let’s talk about this:
Who is Beterbiev fighting next?
Who is Bivol fighting next?
Who is Caleb Plant fighting next?
Who did GGG just fight?
Who did BJ Saunders just fight?
Who did Chudinov just fight?
Try to be objective in your approach to rating fighters. Someone here called Canelo a B fighter at best, c’mon man, set your biases aside and look at his professional vitae.
Well, besides him and his tem, no one celebrated or gladly accepted Szeremeta as a worthy opponent for Golovkin. Regarding to the others, are they making at least 10 % of what Canelo might earn against so unworthy opponent?
Re: MikeMiguel
Brother, I just don’t see where the amount of money other top fighters make in comparison to Canelo is a factor as far as his rating as a fighter…?
If anything, his rating based on opposition is supported by his marketability….. he’s paid what he’s worth.
Simple.
Point out another successful boxer who turned professional at age 15 and was fighting grown a$$ men….. while superb European fighters were trying to collect gold medals….. he was fighting for scrap and building his legacy.
The argument that Callum didn’t have enough notice is a lame one! His name had been mentioned for months! Will you say Billie Joe didn’t know enough in advance too?
First, the best fighters are always in training. That goes for contenders and champions. Second, once you get name dropped by arguably the biggest cash cow in the sport you should start preparing. Third, I don’t recall Callum Smith begging for more time or making excuses. He got shellacked plain and simple! I was actually stunned at how strong Canelo looked at 168 and favor him against anybody in that Division right now. (Even Benevidez! However, I’m not sure David can make 168 anymore, so technically he’s not really in the Division).