5 reasons why Canelo Alvarez is unstoppable
Canelo Alvarez is the biggest superstar in boxing today. Considered to be the greatest boxer on the planet, the 31-year-old has already forged a legendary career and does not appear to show any signs of slowing down.
The Guadalajara-born sensation has defeated some of the best fighters of his generation. They include Austin Trout, Gennadiy Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, Sergey Kovalev, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant. Alvarez has spent over a decade beating elite opponents and capturing world titles across four different weight classes.
His next fight will be against Dmitry Bivol on May 7. The bout will take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be Canelo's second outing in the light heavyweight (175lbs) division. While Bivol is a terrific boxer and the holder of the WBA (Super) Light Heavyweight Title, many fans do not believe the undefeated fighter is capable of conquering Alvarez. Given the spectacular streak he's been on, the Mexican superstar is the betting favorite going into the fight.
Being touted as the greatest boxer in the world is a phenomenal achievement, especially when one's career is not close to being over. With so many amazing fighters falling before Alvarez, fans wonder, what makes him so great? This list will examine five reasons why Canelo Alvarez is so dominant.
#5. Experience: Canelo Alvarez has been fighting professionally since he was 15
Many stars of the sport today possess incredible amateur records, especially fighters from Cuba and Eastern Bloc countries. Ukrainian Olympic gold medalists Oleksander Usyk and Vasyl Lomachenko, for example, both racked up over 300 victories during their respective amateur careers. Lomachenko nearly garnered 400 wins, finishing his amateur tenure with an astonishing 396-1 record.
Meanwhile, Canelo Alvarez, boxing's current pound-for-pound king, never achieved any Olympic accolades as an amateur, nor did he compete in any significant international tournament like many of his contemporaries.
For a country with such a rich and famed boxing history, Mexico surprisingly lacks a well-equipped amateur boxing scene, leading to many fighters turning professional from a very young age. Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, for example, turned pro at 15 and 16, respectively.
After winning two national junior tournaments in his native Mexico, Alvarez’s amateur career came to a halt when he too joined the professional ranks at 15. To put things into proper perspective, Alvarez was only in the eighth grade when he began entering the ring as a pro to fight men nearly twice his age.
Now, at 31, the Mexican sensation sits atop the boxing world as its king. With 16 years of professional experience, Alvarez has encountered every type of opponent. From fleet-footed southpaws (Billy Joe Saunders and Erislandy Lara) to thunderous punchers (Gennadiy Golovkin and Sergey Kovalev), Alvarez has battled all styles.
With such a wide range of championship experience on his resume, Canelo Alvarez is not an easy man to surprise. The Mexican superstar has seen it all. Future opponents will find it difficult to pull any tricks or set up any traps for the seasoned veteran. With a sole defeat to the legendary Floyd Mayweather, along with two draws on his record, Alvarez's immense experience has propelled him to become a near-impossible puzzle to solve.
#4. Defense: It is not easy to land clean on Canelo Alvarez
Two year ago, @Canelo was nearly untouchable against Daniel Jacobs 👀
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It's no secret that Canelo Alvarez hits hard. With 39 of his 57 wins coming by way of knockout, the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion has shown he can put most men to sleep without the aid of Ambien. What makes Alvarez an especially dangerous opponent, however, is not just the dynamite in his gloves.
While many fighters today possess incredible power, few wield the sharpened defensive skills that Alvarez does.
A proponent of walking his foes down with his gloves raised high, many fighters struggle to keep Alvarez at bay. Most boxing coaches say the jab is the most important punch, but it's difficult to land jabs when your opponent uses a classic and efficient high guard defense.
While Alvarez may not have the fastest feet, his superb upper body movement more than makes up for it. Possessing ultra slick reflexes, he has shown the ability to avoid punches while standing right in front of his opponent. This spectacular skill was on full display in his bouts against Austin Trout and Danny Jacobs.
The scariest and most frustrating opponent is the one who is able to land his own power shots without getting hit. Unfortunately for any future opponent, Canelo Alvarez fits this bill perfectly.
Watch boxing's top star work on his defensive skills in the video below:
#3. Iron chin: It's difficult to hurt the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion
For all his defensive talent, Canelo Alvarez has been on the receiving end of some brutal punches.
In 2010, on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley bout, a 19-year-old Canelo Alvarez was almost stopped in the first round against Jose Cotto, brother of Puerto Rican legend Miguel Cotto.
Cotto blasted his younger opponent with a left hook in the first round and followed it up with a devastating flush combination while Alvarez had his back against the ropes. Canelo fought back on wobbly legs and managed to finish the round. He came back strong in the second round and knocked down Cotto with an impressive uppercut. Alvarez then won the bout by stopping Cotto in the ninth round.
The fight not only displayed the raw talent the young up-and-comer possessed but also showed that he could take a punch.
Years later, in a battle for the middleweight crown, Alvarez clashed twice with vicious puncher Gennadiy Golovkin. In both bouts, especially the second one, Canelo Alvarez was forced to eat some of Golovkin's best punches. To this day, nearly four years removed from their highly acclaimed rematch, no fighter has been able to land on Alvarez like 'Triple G'.
Canelo Alvarez had to battle through hell and fire in the rematch against Golovkin. Despite taking some brutal uppercuts and straight rights, Alvarez emerged victorious with a razor thin decision, once again proving that should his defensive repertoire fail, he still has a granite chin that has yet to be cracked.
#2. Body punching: Canelo Alvarez loves going downstairs
Many power punchers make the mistake of head hunting. They fall into the trap of overly focusing on their opponent's head and completely forgetting to strike at the body.
Canelo Alvarez does not have this problem.
The 31-year-old superstar is arguably one of the best bodypunchers in the sport today. There have been bouts where Alvarez has shown he is more than content to simply focus on his opponent's body for large portions of the fight.
In his bouts with Rocky Fielding and Callum Smith, Alvarez blasted away at their midsections with powerful hooks. Both English fighters attempted to employ a high guard defense against him, to no avail.
Fielding was stopped in the third round after suffering four knockdowns. The Liverpudlian spent the majority of the fight shelling up while Alvarez bombed away at his body. Against Smith, Alvarez not only targeted his opponent's body, but his arms as well, which led to a gruesome injury to Smith's left arm.
For any opponent who wishes to get in the ring with boxing's pound-for-pound king, they not only have to worry about their chin, but also their gut, for when it comes to attacking the body, Canelo Alvarez is an absolute butcher.
#1. Commitment: Even as champion, Canelo Alvarez has never lost his hunger
Canelo Alvarez's greatest strength is his commitment to the sport.
A multi-millionaire before he was even 25, the 31-year-old star today has achieved the greatest heights boxing has to offer. Driving luxurious cars and living in mansions, Alvarez continues to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
However, this does not mean the boxing great has ever let his fame and fortune hamper his dedication to his craft.
Canelo Alvarez, born and raised in humble beginnings, continues to live and breathe boxing, despite his immense and terrific success.
Many boxers lose their intense work ethic and drive once they reach the pinnacle of their success. Boxing is littered with such stories.
Adrien Broner was once on top of the world. He was supposed to be the next Floyd Mayweather. Unlike Mayweather, however, Broner lacked his idol's zealous diet and work ethic.
Roberto Duran is a highly regarded legend of the sport and is possibly the greatest lightweight of all time. However, Duran, for all his skill and talent, had a habit of ballooning up between fights.
Mike Tyson – once the most feared fighter on the planet – lost to the less than stellar James 'Buster' Douglas in the greatest upset in boxing history, perhaps even sports history. Tyson's training camp was one plagued with partying and uninterest.
Middleweight great and boxing legend Marvin Hagler once said: "It's tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 a.m. when you're sleeping in silk pajamas."
Canelo Alvarez may fly in lavish private jets and drive the most expensive cars, but his heart is always in the gym. Should the day ever come where he loses in the ring again, it certainly won't be due to a lack of dedication to the sport of boxing.