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