As information/rumor/buzz spreads of promoter Sampson Lewkowicz providing Saul “Canelo” Alvarez a deal that might ship as a lot as $50 million, assured, to struggle his shopper David Benavidez, we’re reminded of the robust spot by which the Mexican famous person finds himself.
On paper, in phrases, and in Eddie Hearn’s coronary heart of hearts, Dmitry Bivol is subsequent for Alvarez. However I’ve lengthy said my belief– from the primary second that Alvarez mentioned he needed a Bivol rematch in Could of 2022, with followers nonetheless buzzing at T-Cell Enviornment and bruises nonetheless forming on his face– that Alvarez needed no second serving to of the reigning WBA mild heavyweight champ.
Alvarez is a great sufficient boxing man to know simply how decisive and borderline dominant that loss was. The three 115-113 scorecards informed a unique story and Alvarez, when requested, rewrites historical past to make the bout appear nearer, extra aggressive. However Bivol didn’t simply barely beat Canelo, he outclassed him. By the top of that struggle, Alvarez was drained, battered, and resigned to defeat. This was not a Canelo we had ever seen earlier than, not even in his shedding effort towards Floyd Mayweather ten years earlier.
All of the “It doesn’t finish this fashion…we would like the rematch” speak, no less than in my eyes, was to avoid wasting face. Bested the way in which he was, how might Alvarez NOT demand a return bout to make issues proper? He could also be a brand new age type of Mexican boxer, however he’s Mexican nonetheless and a proud Mexican doesn’t simply whimper again dwelling, tail between legs, after being slapped round for all of the world to see.
Nevertheless, the trilogy bout with Gennadiy Golovkin took precedence over a right away Bivol rematch. Then, Alvarez’s Guadalajara homecoming towards John Ryder was pushed in entrance of Bivol half 2. Now, there’s a dispute over the load for the subsequent Bivol struggle, tentatively deliberate for September.
Alvarez reportedly needs the struggle on the 175 lb. restrict like final time, whereas Bivol apparently prefers to struggle on the 168 lb. restrict to problem for Alvarez’s 4 tremendous middleweight belts. The WBC, although, says that it might refuse to sanction a Bivol-Alvarez tremendous middleweight title struggle due to their ban on Russian fighters.
Don’t be shocked if this weight stuff turns into a conveniently insurmountable impediment, killing off Bivol-Alvarez 2 shortly earlier than the time comes to begin selling Alvarez’s September struggle.
No person will weep for the loss as a result of the primary struggle wasn’t all that shut and it’s laborious to think about Alvarez having the ability to do this a lot better within the rematch. At any price, each have way more intriguing bouts on their horizons– Bivol in a 175 lb. unification, towards three-belt mild heavyweight champ Artur Beterbiev and Canelo, with…David Benavidez?
And that is the place Alvarez’s second dilemma comes into play.
The quickly to be 33-year-old Canelo doesn’t actually appear to need to struggle the 26-year-old Benavidez, both. When requested in regards to the all-offense Phoenix native, Alvarez has usually hemmed and hawed and kicked the proverbial can down the highway.
The justification in not preventing Benavidez, as Alvarez set about turning into the unified tremendous middleweight champ, was that the two-time former tremendous middleweight titlist didn’t have any titles to place up. Honest sufficient. However now Alvarez is the four-belt champion and Benavidez has established himself as, by far, the highest contender to Alvarez after destroying Caleb Plant in March. There may be now reputable motive to forged shade on Canelo if a Benavidez struggle isn’t subsequent.
The Mexican-American stress fighter can be a supremely robust problem for Alvarez, particularly for the Alvarez we’ve seen recently, who has regarded tepid, sluggish, and/or marginally desirous about latest outings. Benavidez, whether or not his abilities are overrated or not, will beat the doldrums out of any semi-motivated opponent, even one headed for the Corridor of Fame.
It’s not a stretch to imagine that Alvarez would favor to not cope with a giant, sturdy freight prepare at this level of his profession. He’d additionally in all probability desire to not cope with a slick stylist like Demetrius Andrade or a blue-chip 20-something stud like David Morrell, both.
And, if Bivol is not within the image, that go away Canelo with, virtually actually, no one of be aware (and no one deserving) to struggle in a real Canelo-worthy occasion.
With Canelo’s big-money expectations, no network– not even the mind belief at DAZN– needs to hemorrhage cash anymore only for the sake of getting Alvarez struggle on their airwaves. The person has to struggle somebody marketable sufficient to be a high quality B-side in a bout aggressive sufficient to stimulate gross sales.
And Alvarez, no less than this Alvarez proper now, who, rightfully or not, appears to really feel that he’s earned some matchmaking deference, doesn’t appear to need to do something however decide at low-hanging fruit.
After an incredible 2020-2021 run, the Mexican famous person seems to have grown previous and jaded. The boxing enterprise, in the meantime, continues to push him in direction of a passing of the torch problem that he’s not but able to take.
