Canelo Alvarez became the undisputed super middleweight champion and held all four major belts simultaneously. Now that we can assess his reign, where does he rank all-time?
The resume (Source: BoxRec, CompuBox):
- Undisputed super middleweight champion (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO simultaneously)
- Professional record: 61+ wins, 2 losses, 2 draws
- Notable victories: Gennadiy Golovkin (2x), Caleb Plant (undisputed fight), Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, Daniel Jacobs, Dmitry Bivol rematch
- The Bivol loss at light heavyweight (175) was the only clean defeat of his career
All-time 168-pound ranking:
- Canelo Alvarez -- The undisputed reign, the quality of opposition, and the longevity put him at number 1.
- Joe Calzaghe -- 46-0, WBO and IBF champion. Undefeated but the opposition was weaker than Canelo's.
- Andre Ward -- 32-0, unified champion. Short career but flawless record.
The criticism:
- Weight class manipulation. Canelo fought many opponents who moved up from 160 to challenge him at 168. He rarely fought natural 168-pounders in their prime.
- The GGG fights: Most observers scored the first fight for GGG. The draw was controversial. Canelo's legacy at 160 has an asterisk for many fans.
- The David Benavidez avoidance. Benavidez has been the mandatory challenger for years and the fight has not happened. Avoiding the most dangerous challenger undermines the legacy.
Sources:
- BoxRec — career record and fight database
- CompuBox — punch statistics
- Ring Magazine — historical rankings
- ESPN Boxing — pound-for-pound assessments
Sound off in the comments.
Canelo at 168 is the best super middleweight ever and it is not close. Calzaghe beat nobody compared to Canelo's resume. Ward retired too early. Canelo has the fights AND the record.