"There are dark intentions to discredit our fighter" - When Canelo Alvarez's trainer denied fixing accusations after Sergey Kovalev fight
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez is one of the most accomplished boxers of the modern era. The 33-year-old has defeated some of his generation's greatest boxers and cemented a legacy that rivals the very best in the sport's history.
Despite his proven track record, Canelo has dealt with a fair share of criticism from doubters. In one such instance, his coach Eddy Reynoso fiercely defended Canelo against baseless allegations of fight-fixing when the Mexican faced Sergey Kovalev back in 2019.
Canelo defeated Kovalev to win the WBO light heavyweight title in November 2019. Following the Mexican fighter's victory, a section of the boxing community alleged that the fight was fixed.
While speaking to ESPN Deportes, Reynoso denied the allegations and claimed it was an attempt to discredit Alvarez's achievements in the sport:
"First of all, I want to clarify, as a coach and manager of Saul, that we do not dehydrate anyone or fix or buy fights or opponents. We have always adapted to the terms of the opponents and even with Floyd Mayweather, we accepted his agreed-upon weight of 152 pounds."
He added:
"It seems that there are dark intentions to discredit our fighter and more than anything, try to minimize his achievements. As true fans and as Mexicans, we should be proud that at this time, the best fighter is Mexican." [H/T boxingscene.com]
For reference, the fight-fixing allegations started after Kovalev's post-fight remarks. Kovalev defeated Anthony Yarde to retain the WBO light heavyweight title in August 2019, seven weeks before the Canelo fight. The Russian boxer claimed that back-to-back training camps were taxing for his body as he was 36.
According to Kovalev, he was not fully prepared to take the Alvarez fight but decided to go ahead with it for a reported $12 million pay.
The Russian fighter's claims led a section of the boxing community to believe that Canelo's team coerced Kovalev into accepting the fight when he was not ready. It was speculated that the massive pay was the Russian fighter's real motivation to fight, which sparked the fight-fixing rumors.
When Canelo Alvarez gave his take on Sergey Kovalev's comments and the rumors of fight-fixing
While speaking to ESPN Deportes in the days following fight-fixing allegations, Canelo Alvarez criticized Sergey Kovalev for not handling the loss professionally.
Canelo said:
"He's a bad loser. Weight is not an excuse. All fighters have to battle to make weight."
Addressing the rumors about fight-fixing, the Mexican added:
"The media takes things out of context. If you study boxing, you can give your point of view and know what you're talking about. There was no reason for that to bother me." [H/T ESPN]
Fast forward to 2024, and none of the allegations impacted Canelo's career, which is going strong. The Mexican is set to take on Jaime Munguia on May 4 in Las Vegas, on the Cinco de Mayo weekend.