Now that Canelo has completed his mission of becoming undisputed super middleweight champion by knocking off three undefeated fighters, including the World Boxing Super Series winner, what’s next?
Other super middleweights
Former WBC champion David Benavidez (24-0, 21 KOs) seems the main threat. Canelo got the vacant WBC title after Benavidez missed weight for a title defense. Benavidez had a legit excuse, being trapped in a hotel “bubble” without proper facilities during the lockdown days.
Otherwise, the WBA could order Canelo to fight regular champion David Morrell (5-0, 4 KOs) as part of their title reduction reforms. Thoughts of Canelo versus KO artist Edgar Berlanga (18-0, 16 KOs) have all but evaporated with Berlanga’s stock plummeting in recent fights.
Middleweights moving up
Of course, a third showdown with current IBF champ Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) looms largest. GGG is pushing 40 now, however, so this bout is probably now or never.
Other options: WBC champ Jermall Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs), WBO champ Demetrius Andrade (30-0, 18 KOs), or WBA champ Erislandy Lara (28-3-3, 16 KOs), whom Canelo owns a split decision win against.
Light heavyweight
Canelo has already tasted the light heavy division once, and there is plenty of stiff competition at 175 –
especially WBC/WBO champ Artur Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs).
Other options: WBA champ Dmitry Bivol (18-0, 11 KOs), WBO champ Joe Smith Jr (27-3, 21 KOs), and unbeaten “Zurdo” Ramirez (42-0, 28 KOs).
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Of course, Canelo could end up fighting one of his four mandatory challengers or someone completely off our radar. In any event, expect to see him back in the ring the first week of May.
David Benavidez is tailor made for Canelo-tailor made!
David Benavidez will get knocked out by Canelo much sooner than Plant did. Benavides has the fighting style Canelo likes going up against. Like you said he’s tailor maid for him. I believe ther is no one on the list that can beat Canelo at Super Middleweight or down.
Hell some of the Light Heavyweights like Bivol and Beterbiev style favors Canelo’s aggressive counter puncher pressure style. You don”t need to be the strongest puncher to knock someone out. Canelo has enough to knock anyone out in his class, period. If Canelo jumps weight which I believe he wont do for sometime after becoming undisputed Super Middleweight Champion. I think if he did he can win some of those fights. Canelo is right there between Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. He’s not a scrub like many people wants to believe he is. I would like to see him take those fights and win to put some haters in their place.
What about Chlo or Andrade at middle weight unlike benavidez but he better have a great chin because his defense is suspect
James, you are on point. Its documented that Canelo on several occasions has ducked Andrade & Charlo. He picks and chooses weak competition, except Plant.
Yeah right!! Don’t bet on it.
Andrade > Charlo > Lara is my priority order for Canelo. I’d buy any of those PPVs.
Lara really?! At this stage he’d knockout Lara badly. Charlo and Andrade don’t have the experience to compete at the level. It will be Canelo outdoing two fighters who either never had to the opportunity to fight the best or decided not to fight the best. Honestly Noone from 16-175 beats Canelo.
Thats a bs excuse not to make the fight. It never comes up if Team Canelo picks Plant, BJS, Yildrim, etc. Which were fights nobody but Team Canelo wanted. The argument is only made when a dangerous fighter like Andrade or Charlo is mentioned as possible opponents.
At Lightweight, the same arguments were/are made against Haney and Stevenson for why they cant fight guys like Valdez or Lomo.
The guys with not enough experience or undeserving all happen to be on the coincidental list You all are in on protecting fighters rather than find out who is the best. You would have no prob if Jaime Munguia was chosen to come up in weight for a Canelo.
I have a problem with all fighters of this generation weaving around each other looking for the quickest way to a fight their not prepared for just for financial gain. While Canelo is choosing who he chooses those other candidates should be building on their legacy not fighting some hopeless top 50. We could spend hours on the crappy ways Canelo got things done but it doesn’t change the fact that he has a massive advantage in experiencover anyone now. AT least at the lower weights it’s pretty much even as these guys have similar records with Teo leading the pack by a narrow margin .
No one can beat canelo at his level because he is really strong and at his prime age
Exactly
Canelo is doing nothing different than what Floyd Mayweather has done in his career. Benavidez, Charlo, Andrade all would loose. They are way to inexperienced for Canelo. Canelo fought way more world class opponents than any of them combined. They fighting nobodies and people are glamoring about them for what? They are overrated just like Plant.
“Overrated like Plant”….like the Plant who went eleven rounds against arguably the best fighter out there?
Yes because Lara was the only one other than Floyd to score a close decision with him. Whatever you might think of the style it presented difficulty. Lara did better than Saunders did. You have to accept that.
Also saying Charlo or Andrade don’t have a shot is like saying his last opponent didn’t have a shot. We accept Canelo is the best in the world. The excitement is the unknown of what happens when the best meet. Even if the best is perceivably twice as good as his other.
I’d like to see him fight Benavidez as he only lost the title on the scales and for me that makes him absolutely undisputed at SM
I too would love to see Canelo fight Benavidez. He’s overrated and too inexperienced for Canelo. Just like Plant hasn’t fought anyone worth of note. Benavidez style is tailored maid for Canelo ain’t nothing special about it.
I see no one really I expect to threat Canelo in neither Middleweight nor Super Middleweight.
Perhaps Jesse Hart should be mentioned as a possibility too? Patience and stamina. Might be a good fight.
It is in the Light Heavyweight I found competition. If Canelo would face Beterbiev, Bivol, Ramirez, maybe even Smith Jr and Browne, I mean it would be interesting. The outcome would not be self-evident at least.
Hope Beterbiev has recovered fully after Corona. Still, I see Browne not being an easy fight for Beterbiev. I can picture Brownes sneaky straight left hand find its target.
The russians are tough but a bit predictable. I sense more is needed against Canelo.
To me Ramirez is undervalued. So why not a big mexican fight? Canelo vs Ramirez!
Agree. Canelo has to move up and try to clear out the Light Heavy division. His financial pulling power should mean he can attract immediate world title interest so boxing fans will get big fights.
I think for the sake of our sanity, he should offer to fight those Paul brother flogs in a tag-team ‘winner takes all’ fight and dispatch both of them in two rounds (or less) so we don’t have to read about them in the space that is meant for real pugilists!
Canelo doesn’t have to move up weight. He doesn’t have to do anything. Super Middleweight is his more natural weight why force a man fight out of his weight just to make some hater happy? There are plenty of fights in the future for Canelo with the likes of Benavidez, Charlo and Andrade all whom he can absolutely beat.If he chooses he can be king of the Super middleweight for a long time.
Beterbiev is too big and strong for Canelo. Canelo should stay in the super middleweight and fight Benavidez.
Ramirez or Beterbiev
dont forget Carlos Góngora who is very good
GGG will be next. Too much money not to.
Why? Besides money, but why? At this stage GGG wouldn’t give Canelo too much trouble. He should be looking for Benavidez and Charlo. Beating them would make more headlines than beating a man he already beat in my opinion 3 times.
3G already beat Canelo twice and the meat eater won’t want any part of him.
Doesn’t matter. I will sell and if they want to milk a 3rd fight they can’t wait much longer.
No he didn’t. Canelo beat GGG both times stop being biased. Just look at the numbers can’t deny Canelo was doing more work in the ring.
According to the Compubox Canelo was clearly the favored in both fights. The Judge’s in the first fight were clearly paid off. The 2nd fight Canelo beat GGG there were no ifs and buts about it.
Fight an exhibition with Mike Tyson first. Don’t be a pussy
BENAVIDEZ!!! Nuff said!!
Retire before you pick the wrong opponent and get destroyed.
Peace.
GGG is too old. He peaked about 5 or 6 years ago. Canelo wins the rubber match going away. Bivol is overrated. The Charlos styles are a recipe for disaster if they go up against Canelo. Berlanga is not even close to a title shot and will probably fizzle out before hes in a position to fight Canelo. Beterbiev is also overrated but it would be an exciting fight – I’d still make Canelo a favorite to win by a big margin. Zurdo may be the most problematic for Canelo style-wise but NO one is clamoring for that fight which is why it wont happen.
Canelo will likely beat GGG then handpick a few decent but beatable fighters with glossy records then final fight Beterbiev when hes 40+ and may even collect a cruiser tittle before its all over and he can finally rest on his tainted beef laurels.
I’m glad you picked Bivol as the ‘overrated’ fighter, because it just proves that Canelo and his casual fans are terrified of that very specific fighter because they know the Russian would knock the Mexican out. Too many casuals on this comment section and they don’t know anything about boxing.
I dont care for Canelo either. But Bivol hasn’t terrified anyone in about 3 years. Bivol is good but he’s way overrated whether you’re a fan of Canelo or not.
I think whoever wins next month between GGG and Murata has an excellent chance of being next.
And u thought Vargas was going to upset Isaac Cruz. (so did i)
Nobody of interest. What about Dirrell? He looked good while almost taking that dude’s head off with that uppercut!
Hernandez the guy who fought Dyrrel had a KO ratio of 5%. What could he do but get knocked out? A snowball in hell had a better chance. Talk about cherrypicking chumps! That is what makes boxing look so dirty and most of all they are worse than some politicians……no shame!
Benavidez already beat that guy but he was outboxingbhim before he got cut
Andrade in 2!
Agreed. Just like Canelo said in the Press Conference get da fk out of here.
Won’t be any black boxers. We all know Canelo has trouble beating them. He will avoid them at all cost as long as possible. He will continue to fight white boxers that talk shit but won’t fight in the ring. Let be honest. He KO’ed a couple black boxers that’s it but the most part he won’t fight them.
I knew these punks was going to give me thumbs down but they know i’m right. Name is last 10 a Opponents that’s been black? You can’t.
Come on men. I hate canelo but both Charles lost their last fight but got protected the 160 one fought against the guy with no boxing skills only power. And almost got KO Andrade is overrated … who else you got?
I don’t hate Canelo but i think he is fighting light competition and these belts hold no weight that’s he’s collecting
Let’s give Lara a rematch?
He’ll never give Lara a rematch. He knows he lost the first fight.
You define as “punks” those who vomit at your racist comments? (LOL) Canelo vs GGG was very competitive. — and, by the way, the last time I looked, Golovkin still looked like a Caucasian. And, after Canelo cleans house against all your preferred Negro fighters, where do you go then?
Stop playing the race cards… it’s overrated
Bivol, Benavides or Beterbiev. Or nobody. And that is conditional upon each fighter having a full training camp and knowing at least two months ahead of time that they are going to be facing Canelo. Otherwise the fight doesn’t count in my book and any other legitimate aficionado.
In your book? As if your opinion on whether a fight counts matters to anyone in the world of boxing? Chris you are a racist and are not ashamed to show it in your idiotic posts. If someone doesn’t agree with you, they are tagged as a “casual.” Every white fighter you hang your hat on loses, and now you demand canelo go up to 175 until there is a white fighter who can beat him. No matter his accomplishments, he will never be good enough for you all because of his nationality. Pathetic.
Andrade or Benavidez. Andrade would probably give Ginger Juice the harder time. Beterbiev is too big and strong. If Clenelo does fight Beterbiev it will be when Artur begins to show signs of decline as he ages. I had always hoped for a Kovolev vs Beterbiev fight.
I love David Morrell and think he’s a supremely skilled and talented fighter, but I don’t think he’s quite ready to challenge Canelo.
Well, eventually, Canelo will have to start defending his belts at 168. In absence of any contractual/negotiation/stalling drama, Benavidez is in a solid mandatory position for a WBC title shot. After Benavidez wins his next fight by TKO or by KO (A MUST), Canelo may feel public pressure to fight Benavidez during September/2022. I get a sense there are some Canelo fans who are deeply concerned about Canelo fighting Benavidez.
At 168, I only want to see Benavidez vs. Canelo. Benavidez is the only opponent who can bring the full size, mean streak, pressure, quick combination punches, long power jabs, and power punches to Canelo. It is possible Benavidez’s offensive skills may cause Canelo to hesitate. However, because of Canelo’s experience, I am pretty sure (although not 100%) I will favor Canelo to defeat Benavidez; but I want to CONFIRM IT in a Texas BRAWL FOR IT ALL.
I do not see Charlo, Andrade, GGG or any other fighter at 160 (moving to 168) or 168 that can deal with Canelo’s pressure and hard shots. Maybe Benavidez can deal with Canelo’s HOF skills while distributing equal/near equal offensive skills.
It will break my heart if Canelo and Benavidez do not mix it up in Texas (2022 or early 2023), and I believe it will leave a lousy feeling/castor oil taste of…”Who would have won if…”
Take the benavidez fight plz a a proud Mexican those to guys fighting on Cinco de mayo is a match made in heaven
Canelo wants no part of Charlo or Andrade. those light heavies are too young for him.
My top 5 are; Benavidez, Zach Parker, Antony Dirrell, Fedor Chidinov and David Lemieux
Have him step up his level of competition and fight joe smith jr
GGG just to close the trilogy would be good.
GGG too old his best days are way behind him. He will be 40 if they make the fight. They are 1 and 1. That is all I want to see.
Camelo is the best fighter of all time to date.
Perhaps so…we will see. But he’s got a long tough road ahead of him to be even considered in that elite mix. After all, at one time in his career, Sugar Ray Robinson’s record was 160-0; and Willie Pep’s was 160-1. And so it’s a no-brainer why many consider these two (interchangeably) to be the greatest boxers to ever lace gloves. Nevertheless, I personally see Canelo as the best out there right now…..but that’s just my opinion. As for Robinson and Pep, it’s not just MY opinion, but one shared by many individuals who know far more about this sport than I do. Just watch some of the historic fights of these two former champions, and it should become obvious (even apart from their incredible winning records) why they’re considered to be at the very top of the list of greatest boxers of all-time.
Don’t let me name all the washes up, past their prime fighters that Canelo built his resume. He loss both GGG bouts and a shame too. It’s a joke that these Canelo fans actually think he can beat Beterbiev it’s a bigger joke! There is no CHIN for what Beterbiev brings. Like Andre Ward said last year, Canlo better stay far away from the Russian beast…
I would say have him fight mayweather but mayweather already destroyed him.
If Beterbiev beats Browne, not easy fight but I think Marcus will be koed…I will pray for a Canelo vs Beterbiev in 175. Please please please…I will pay any PPV for that superfight !!!
Canelo will never challenge Beterbiev vs Bivol unless they pass their prime and/or he were absolutely sure to beat them… All Canelo’s entourage works for that, to understand these kind of stuff!
Canelo needs to be challenged in order to be an all time great. The two times he was challenged he lost to Floyd, (who only fought boxers who are too young or too old) and got lucky with GGG. These Billy Joes Smiths, Plants fight have not cemented his legacy like some would like to believe.
He should fight Charlo early in the year then Benevidez then iron mike in an exhibition
I know people think he should fight Andrade or Charlo…..but it won’t happen, and it has nothing to do with Canelo……Andrade and Charlo are 160 pound champions. Canelo is 168…..mandatory fighters get a certain percentage of the purse, and other 168 champions can get a nice percentage. Also mega names can get a nice purse as the B side. But in the case of Charlo and Andrade they would simply be voluntary defenses…..this means they will get voluntary defense money…..which they will not accept, they think they are worth GGG money….they won’t bring any fans, so they are not worth more than voluntary defense money, which they will refuse. If Charlo or Andrade really want the fight, get a 168 ranking and be mandatory and get mandatory money. Otherwise its not going to happen because they will turn down the offer because they think they are worth more. Their fans like to think Canelo is afraid of them, but i guarantee you the won’t accept the purse, so who is really afraid.
Fans would rather see Canelo fight Charlo or Andrade or Benavidez. They would make more money on the B side than fighting anyone else. They would get GGG money. The PPV would be way bigger than Plant.
Its better if canelo vs tripleG.
Charlo says that “the people” want to see he and Canelo fight. I don’t know what people he’s talking about because I have no interest in seeing that fight. Charlo is not even in the same weight class, and has been unimpressive in the ring. Plus he’s a loudmouth, always screaming for attention wherever he goes, always confrontational with everyone wherever, whenever, screaming for attention. Canelo is too smart, too experienced, too strong, and too explosive for Charlo, so this wouldn’t be much of a match. Charlo needs to do more, talk less. There are good tests for him in his own division, so he needs to step up and prove himself worthy.
Who Canelo fights next is an open question, but I appreciate this win against Plant. Despite Plant’s disrespectful attitude and cockiness, Canelo took his time and broke him down. Plant was looking for canvas by fight’s end. He didn’t want to take any more punishment, and quit.
He won’t fight any of those guys. Maybe GGG if GGG looks really bad against Murarta.
I watch the fight Caleb plant and Canelo Alvarez Caleb plant strainer should have stepped in because Canelo was was gloving plants in the eyes forcing Vaseline and his eyes and caught him with the uppercut. Appoint should have been deducted and Caleb plants team should have stepped in and spoke to referee after doing this multiple times it’s all dirty technique called gloving
A clean dedicated professional life Style Canelo lives It,s very difficult he,ll ever Be Defeated in a Long Long Time .Only Father Time Will Eventually catch up with Him,?
Ok