WBA/WBC super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez wants to become the first Mexican boxer to be undisputed champion in the four-belt era. “It’s important for me and Eddy because very few people have achieved becoming undisputed champions,” said Canelo. “And that’s a short-term goal for us. To win all the titles at 168 pounds. Obviously, no Mexican has ever done it. So that’s our short-term goal, to keep making history. And that’s what we want. Eddy and I have always wanted the best. And we want to keep making history.”
However before fighting for another belt, Canelo needs to make his mandatory WBC defense against Avni Yildirim on February 27 in Miami. If successful, he is expected to fight WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders on May 8. The IBF belt is held by Caleb Plant.
To date, there have been five undisputed four-belt champions. Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight), Bernard Hopkins (middleweight), Jermain Taylor (middleweight), Terence Crawford (junior welterweight), Teofimo Lopez (lightweight).
Jose Ramirez and Josh Taylor are expected to clash for the undisputed junior welterweight title in May.
“I think it’s important, not just for me, but for all fighters,” Canelo added. “To make history in boxing is very important, I think. It’s very important to me to leave behind a legacy in this sport. And that’s why we’re doing this. To keep making history and so when people talk about boxing, they always remember me.”
Fight Beterbiev boxing’s Khabib Nurmagomedov !! Stop running after belts, go after real challenges like Beterbiev and beat him then you will be recognized as one of the greatest .. You are a great fighter you don’t need to fight the likes of Callum Smith, Yildirim or a past his prime and fat BJS..
Who has Beterbiev beaten? Look at the resumes? Come on man keep it real…. How many skilled boxers are on Nelos resume? Many great names. How many are in Beterbievs resume?
Are you kidding me ?! He just koed Gvodzyk who himself koed Stevenson the LH nightmare !
Maybe he can fight GGG when GGG is 50 or 60.
Doesn’t matter whos on his resume. Canelos camp wants nothing to do with him……………….now Kovalev a washed up mentally challenged fighter………….thats a different story.
Teofimo Lopez should not be included until he fights and beat Haney. WBC made a big mess of this situation. Should have made Lomo fight Haney or strip him instead of giving him the “protection from the big bad wolf” or “franchise” WBC belt.
As for Canelo, with Benavidez out of the way, he has a good shot.
Canelo like to fight European style fighters, so I doubt he gets in the ring with Plant. Canelo needs the protection against slick, thinking boxers (Lara, Trout, Mayweather) or he likely wont win.
If we only accept WBA “super” as the real WBA champ, than we must accept the WBC’s top titleholder, the “franchise” champ, as the WBC champion. Haney is the “email champ” as Lopez likes to call him. He has to win it in the ring to be accepted IMO.
Plant in 2!
BJS in 2!
Plant in 2!!!!….??????
WTF?
You gotta be kidding brotha!
The only thing Plant gets done in 2 may be some push ups.
Be realistic, Plant has looked good against marginal fighters, whereas Canelo beats giants!
Everyone throwing out Beterbiev like he some future hall of famer
The only Hall of Famer in this entire conversation is Canelo.
Accept it and recognize
“Throw some Respek on his name!”
Agreed beto. Plant does have a descent chance to beat Canelo BUT in 2 rounds, thats a joke. Plant is good BUT Canelo IMO might be a lil too much for him down the stretch. Canelo by late stoppage.
Canelo beats giants? He got schooled by Mayweather, Trout was a razor thin victory, Lara was debatable, GGG beat him twice and got a draw and loss for his efforts. He knocks out chumps like Khan who started boxing at 135 lbs and we knew couldn’t take a punch, Kirkland who couldn’t take a punch either, and Liam Smith and Callum Smith? Come on. Legacy? He got to Kovalev when the guy was done as an elite fighter. He fought Mosley when he was well past his prime (and a natural 135lb’er at that), Danny Jacobs was a decent win but not impressive by any means. His “legacy” is when of someone who has been brought along extremely well by GBP and now that he is on his own, well, we’ll have to see. His next fight is a joke. Everyone knows it. He is a good fighter. No doubt about it. Just not the all time great people make him out to be. Great management though for sure.
I think Canelo easily beats Saunders and Plant. Typical walk-me-down fights with Canelo cracking some leather and breaking each fighter down. Canelo UD each fight.
Canelo’s short term goal: to avoid the more dangerous opponents while becoming a four division champion smh
Arturo. Who is he avoiding if he said he wants all the belts?? Please dont say beterbiev, thats not his weight class. One fight does not make him a light heavy. Or maybe Beterbiev can take on AJ first if he really wants that fight with Canelo
Arturo I disagree, I’m a Canelo fan, but fighting guys like Plant? Canelo will KO him within 5 rounds. He needs exciting fights against guys who can fight back.The Plant fight will be a one sided fight. Charlo, Benavidez, Munguia, Bivol. Those are exciting fights. I think Canelo wins all those fights but they are good match ups. No one cares about super champion or undisputed unless he fights everyone.
That’s my thoughts too and that’s why i want him to fight Beterbiev the LH in his prime Golovkin !
i think a in shape and motivated bjs, fight could be interesting, with his movement and being a southpaw could cause some problems, he has the ability but he has to find that motivation, but can he?
Great point Brian. A focused and hungry BJS cld be a force!
Canelo sounds good on paper, so I hope he initially attempts to sweep out the other belt holders at 168 (Plant & BJS); and I really REALLY hope Canelo subsequently fights Benavidez because fans WANT/NEED to see that Canelo vs. Benavidez action (title or non-title…who cares).
If Canelo handles the above summarized journeys at 168, then he can seek a new adventure(s) at 175 before retiring.
I was hoping Canelo would end up going back to 160. Some good fighters there and maybe some 154’s move up to 160 to fight Canelo. Maybe Canelo makes history at 168 then does it at 160 but I dont see that happening. Looks like his only way is to move up in weight.
Perfect plan for now. Love the Beterbiev guys saying Canelo should fight him. Guy is literally fighting a no-name next. Has no plans for Bivol. Beterbiev fight Bivol than call out Canelo. Benevidez fight Beterbiev. Why not? Hes having trouble making weight. Canelo could be set for 2more years at 168 before he has to go elsewhere. Win all the belts. Wait for Charlo and Boo boo, than maybe GGG, Benevidez all before moving up. Of course after taking on all that talent and winning you joke boxing fans/haters will say he waited until Beterbiev got old. It will be so pathetic.
Agree on Benavidez… if he’s good to go at 168, then hell yeah that fight should happen!
As for the others at 168, I’m sure most of you understand that Canelo is the key ingredient, right?
And I don’t just mean him being the A side either, I mean HE makes the fight.
Consider Saunders vs Plant? Saunders vs Charlo? Plant vs Charlo?
Exactly….. nobody cares!
Boring a$$ fights that no one is calling for…. yet, some of us throw them out like they’re Canelo’s kryptonite.
As for Beterbiev, maybe he can unify 175, while Canelo unifies 168 and then have a truly memorable fight between them??!!
Or are we only imposing our “musts” and “needs” on Canelo?
And just to be certain and clear, Canelo has announced his intention to unify 168….. so the 2 remaining champs (Saunders and Plant) should have no reason to later say they weren’t adequately prepared……
People keep hating on Canelo ’cause of the GGG fights. Yes he lost the first fight and the second could have gone both ways. It’s not his fault what the judges did. Listen guys. Both Canelo and GGG are tuff and great fighters. Canelo has fought Mayweather-Cotto-Jacobs-Chavez jr-GGG-Kirkland-Khan-Smith etc etc… He deserves to be #1 on the PforP list..
So true. He also fought a avoided Lara and let’s talk about him as a club fighter fighting guys like Miguel Vasquez who latter became a world champion and a avoided one for years. We can talk about the Luciano cuellar fight.the Marat Khuzav fight and so on. Nelo has the best active resume besides Manny Pacquiao. And yes Nelo is in his prime.
At least Canelo has a good intention, clean up the weight class division where he is fighting, and I don’t hear him saying he is the GOAT, like someone we know that blatantly avoided Manny Paquiao on his prime when bothe were champions and also Paul Williams. I believe Canelo is making a more than a decent effort to go with the adage “to be the best, you have to fight and beat the best” nothing wrong to fight some unheralded in between, because no matter how great or good a boxer is, their boxing records are not made of just great names.
Belts, fake titles, fake divisions, catchweights, don’t mean anything. Boxing fans just want good fights. Fights with guys like Charlo, Benavidez, Munguia, Andrade, Beterbiev. That is what fans want to see. Who cares about Super Champion. No one even knows what that is. Undisputed don’t mean sh!! unless he fights those guys. I think he can beat those guys but he loses respect if he ducks those guys. I’m not a big ODLH fan, but he didn’t duck nobody, win or lose he fought everyone.
I hear it…. some of us still posting our expectations of Canelo.
Funny, we dont post our expectations of any other fighter within his weight class.
We have Charlo actively avoiding the hell outta Benavidez….
We got Plant also avoiding Benavidez…
Saunders avoided everyone except washed up fighters…
Canelo and Pacquiao are probably the only current active fighters with their names secured in the Hall of Fame. They can retire today and their legacy would prove true.
How bout we demand Beterbiev jump up and challenge Joshua at Heavyweight? He’s got the size and almost certainly walks around above 200 lbs….
Stop hating on Canelo. If you dont like him, dont watch his fights. Simple.
I never cared for Mayweather’s style or character and would buy into PPV hoping I’d see him get beat! While I did see him take a few “beat downs” I never saw him officially lose a fight.
But I understand and accept that his talent was/is rare.
WADR, Mayweather lost to Castillo in the first fight. Even the crooked judges who gave it to Money Man know that. To me Floyd in 49-1 OFFICIALLY.
Come on! Canelo is a great fighter, the best now, and in his prime. But dont put him with PacMan. Canelo is the Pope, Manny is the Virgin Mary! LOL.
I was trying to make the point that at his tender age of 30, Canelo can retire and he’d be a Hall of Famer.
I agree, Pacquiao is at another level with his list of phenomenal accomplishments.
Mexicans cant handle Chechens. So Beterbiev is out of the picture.