After becoming undisputed super middleweight champion, some are hailing Canelo Alvarez as one of the greatest Mexican champions ever. However, it can safely be said that former world champion Juan Manuel Marquez isn’t a member of the Canelo fan club. Marquez says Canelo will never be the best boxer in Mexican history unless he faces his opponents on an equal footing as the other Mexican greats did.
“There are many fighters who won the world championships, as I did and as several did, fighting against the best without putting in rehydration clauses to the opponents. Without depleting them and saying ‘you have to do this,’ he told Deplaymaker in a long interview. “Economically it is very good, but as I already mentioned, for example, rehydration clauses where if you regain so many pounds you will have a fine. I think that is not fair to the other fighter. You have to do it all things being equal.”
I remember Canelo’s days of 155 lbs fights. He wasn’t quite ready to move to 160. He did lose to Mayweather, so wasn’t the best 154 on the night. He did lose to Golovkin the 1st fight, due to a game plan and being convinced his boxing moving strategy was smart boxing and Golovkin was dumb, talking about Mexican style. Canelo was just lucky to get a draw, and the 2nd Golovkin fight many thought was a draw. Canelo still gets wins from 155 to 175, he beats guys way taller than himself. Maybe he’s not the best, but he’s dedicated to boxing. He’s made money off of boxing better than almost anyone else. Not sure what he’d prove beating 40 year Golovkin in 2022. You’ve got 33 and 34 year old guys trying to be top 3 pound for pound guys (Fury and Crawford). I guess Marquez believes Canelo has to beat whoever they say is the #1 guys at 160, and 175, and maybe defend against some number 1 contenders at 168.
Marquez is just bitter. Canelo isn’t the best now but at this point he’s better than Marquez showing he could beat slick boxers something he couldn’t do. JMM never liked Canelo and his disdain shows each and every time.
In this day and age Canelo is a very active fighter. He has taken on some top notch fighters but IMO he didn’t perform to the level of someone you would consider a legend. Floyd, GGG, Lara, Coto, Trout. Can anyone say wow he looked great in any of these fights? He’s a marketing machine and a very good fighter but stop with he’s the greatest Mexican of all-time. That’s just ignorant. Barrera, Morales, JCC, Marquez, and Lopez all dared to be great and succeeded. Sure they took some losses but in their primes they fought the best of the best. What is Canelo’s signature win? A bad decision against a 36 year old GGG? Washed up Kovalev? Zero power Plant and BJS? Can you imagine if a prime RJJ was fighting now at super middle? This guy would be hiding under his bed.
Mayweather was at 152
I Agree With Marquez I wish he would have fought Charlo or Andrade at middleweight but I don’t see him moving down they would have to move up
Charlo and Andrade are cute little birds for canelo they are too small
Canelo is too much for both
But he fought Amir Khan, so I don’t see why he wouldn’t take a fight with these guys. I think he knew better.
GGG wouldn’t fight those guys either but he gets a pass beating up on Monroe and Stevens GGG wouldn’t even fight Saunders
I would have liked to see either Charlo fight Lara but it is what it is. A lot of talk from the Charlos but their promoter rarely steps up. Surprised PBC fed Plant to Canelo.
Marquez isn’t necessarily wrong but he comes across as bitter as hell. Marquez ko of Pacquiao is probably greater than any victory Canelo has but Canelo has a better body of work. Chris John beat Matquez. Those who saw the fight know this. Although Marquez was bitter about that loss he never pursued a rematch. After the loss to John Marquez improved dramatically including his physique. Despite aging he put on more muscle with less fat as he moved up in weight and got older. He says he drank his own piss. Whatever whether its piss or tainted beef its all the same. Both were/are great fighters. At this point Canelo is probably 2nd to JC Chavez. Maybe even 1. Id have to say Marquez is top ten maybe even top 6. Ricardo lopez is supremely underrated and lb for lb probably better than all of them. Zarate, Olivares, Sanchez somewhere in the bottom of top ten Mexican boxers of all time.
It would’ve been interesting to see how great Salvador Sanchez would’ve been had he not died way too soon.
Sanchez would have been champ at 130 but Lightweight would have been tough for him with his lack of power. Although there were guys that held the belt at 135 he would have got over
But Marquez never made an argument that he himself was the best. Not sure why you’re comparing the two careers. Mexicans champions of the past built a fine legacy of fighting the best anytime and any place. Team Canelo was a great cherry picker with rules in his place to go in his favor. This includes the WBC bending rules and allowing higher levels of his favorite beef.
Im sure the privileges Canelo gets may rub the older Mexican champs wrong because they didnt look enough like Canelo to get the same privilege.
Marquez’s is a Mexican champ that see through the smoke and mirrors. Doubt he’s bitter at all. He would give credit to his fellow Mexican if its due.
Pacman also put on more muscle as he put on more weight and got older and he never failed a drug test! Why is it ok for Pacman to move up and get more muscular but not Marquez?
Its not. Most of them at the upper level are on some form of PED. So I dont necessarily fault one more than the other but boxing organizations and media are inconsistent with how its handled. Uzcategui tests positive and his fight is canceled and hes labeled a cheat. Oscar Valdez test is basically ignored. Long after his prime was up Tarver failed a test and it tarnished his legacy but canelo failed a test and its bullshit excuse and all is forgiven. Pac in all likelihood used some form of PED too. Holyfield Nd Mosley were both conected to it. Toney too. Its widespread. Like I said they’re still great fighters. Hell even losers use PEDs but just like the 100th place finisher in the tour de France no one cares.
Oh I don’t know, maybe because Pacquiao was always muscular and when he went up in weight, he still stayed light and didn’t bulk up – whereas Marquez never had that kind of body type but managed to get more muscles, more zits and more power to where he’s punching an Alvarado out of the ring and not only knocks down but KO’s a Pacquiao who in 3 previous fights wasn’t even close to dropping him. And ultimately Memo Heredia who was proven to have used undetectable PEDS on other athletes.
Canelo ran to 168 to fight in. Division no one cared about. There were several options at 160. The only guy at 168 people wanted to see him fight was Benevidez. Still hasn’t fought him. Waited until Ggg looked vulnerable against Jacobs to fight him. He is very careful about how to craft his fights like Mayweather. Fought Kovalev after Kovalev was coming off a tough fight where he had no time to recover. I give him some credit for Callum Smith but let’s be honest, Smiths best win was over a shot George Groves. I know Benevidez is green but he is dangerous. That’s why Canelo looks the other way. He will probably fight Bivol next since the guy has been so inactive.
Why hasn’t GGG fought Kov, Smith, Ward, Charlo or Andrade? Why does GGG get a pass?
Because like Hgler GGG was a MW all his carreer !! case close i rate him in the top 5 MW ever..
cherry picking while eating mexican beef , matchmaking 101…ggg screwed that up…he will retire before fighting benevedez, or any other killer
Pernell, as Benevedez will expose and toy with beefy cheat
I agree with Marquez, but fighters like Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard, put clauses into contracts like ring size, brand of gloves. “Equal footing,” doesn’t exist for fighter who are the A side of the fight.
Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard are not in the argument for the greatest Mexican champions ever. Not sure why mention those guys. Marquez is talking about Mexican fighters fighting on equal playing field.
Facts
I like JMM, but he is sounding a bit bitter. I do agree with his comments on the weight and rehydration clauses Canelo makes his opponents adhere to. However, that is modern day boxing. The records only show who the winner was and who was the loser. I have read comments comparing Canelo to other fighters of the bygone era. It is pointless, it isn’t just about what we know the fighter can do. There is so much else to it. Hidden injuries, having an off night, how well the training camp went, external factors etc etc. It’s all about who turns up on the night. Whatever people want to argue, Canelo is already a great for what he has achieved. His world titles speak for themselves. We should wait for his career to end before we make comments on who is the greatest Mexican fighter to grace the ring.
Agreed but have to say Canelo is still young and in his prime. He has a lot of fights in him. Like you said lets wait and see how the remaining years unfold before comparing with the fighters of yesteryear. Canelo right now has a good case, but his career is still going. JMM just sounds a little bitter that a fighter is doing things better than him. In sports commentators and analyst compare fighters from the past or in football a QB from another years past, but if you want to be great and break records don’t follow in their footsteps stop trying to be them, but be all you can be and you will be greater.
Another trick learned from Mayweather their fight was at 152, I find it amusing when boxing fans face the underbelly of this game. Dirty, anyone shocked? Let’s get back to the 0 not being what matters, let the best fight the best
This is NOT disdain, but factual. Canelo was CAUGHT with PED’s twice in the same camp and then recently his stablemate. Why are people so delusional on here. And forgetful because it’s their ‘idol.’
I disagree with Marquez. It’s still considered being on equal footing. Yeah the rehydration clause prevents extra weight, but it also goes for Canelo as well. This keeps things on equal footing for the fight. No extra weight difference to gain an edge the way Boxing should be. Marquez sounds like he’s sour because people aren’t doing things like he did in the old days. Boxing like all things will tend to evolve and move on can’t stay and dwell in the past. Marquez was considered one of the best Mexican fighters he’s just upset that someone is doing things better than him. Marquez please understand you were a very good fighter in your day but you were far from being the best Mexican fighter. Canelo not only is the first Mexican undisputed champion but he also has a better record than you. Maybe you should have tried to unify your division back in the day. This is coming from a man who drank his own urine for prep.
The sanctioning bodies need to go back to day of weigh-ins, this will eliminate the hydration clauses put fighters in their natural weight division and promote healthy training habits.
Salvador Sanchez was destined to be great. Canelo when his career is over will be recognized as one of the greats despite the PED history.
I have to agree with both-sides of the argument. However, I don’t see Marquez as bitter just stating his opinion, we all have one.
“The sanctioning bodies need to go back to day of weigh-ins”
– Agree.
JC Chavez was one of if not the best fighters I’ve ever watched. To compare Canelo to him is almost impossible due to the differences in competition fought up to this point in Canelo’s career. Same goes for Marquez for that matter.
I’d rather see mayweather vs pac 2 then anybody canelos going to fight
I like Marquez but this is just silly… He had a weight clause himself when he fought Mayweather. And lets not talk about all the acne he had on his chest when the dude was almost 40 fighting Pac. Equal footing my eye… JMM was roided and looking like a He-Man doll when he fought Manny.
JMM’s point is valid but he needs to stop drinking the haterade. The matter of who’s the greatest Mexican fighter of all-time is a moot one as no one will ever top JCC in his prime, IMO. JCC had no PED’s on board when he beat Mayweather )twice), Lockridge, Rosario, Ramirez, Taylor, Camacho, and about a hundred other guys and never concerned himself with opponents’ rehydration.
Surprising comments from Marquez, who I always thought was more low-keyed and had more class. I’ve never heard Canelo claim that he’s the best Mexican fighter, so I don’t know where this is coming from.
About the weight restrictions, Canelo’s opponents are often bigger than he is, and likely would think nothing of cheating by rehydrating to be significantly heavier than Canelo, so they stand a better chance of winning. I think Marquez is misguided in his criticism of a fellow Mexican fighter, and as someone who was always a fan of Marquez, I’m disappointed in his comments.
Although I think Canelo lost that first fight to GGG, and only achieved at best a draw in their second fight, he has been a great fighter and a great ambassador for the sport. Compared to someone like Tyson Fury, he fights more frequently too.
Can someone elaborate on why Marquez feels Canelo’s career is a bit tainted. Perhaps he’s subtly hinting at the failed drug test?
As far as skills/talent/resume, I think Canelo has it all. Besides some politics, he’s fought top/best fights. You need another great fighter to make great fights.
He fought a GGG still at tail end of his prime, but I would consider that as a one of the great fights of boxing. You can say that for many fights of younder that should’ve happened sooner. AJ/Wilder, etc. Even though Wilder lost, I give him all the respect for wanting to fight the best at their prime, no bs from him.
Agree with the true legend Marquez is !