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It is amazing that some people in the boxing business believe that Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is running scared of opponents.
Alvarez is, according to a recent Forbes magazine, the wealthiest and most successful boxer on the planet, with earnings for 2024 set to reach $85m. His worth is estimated at $275m.
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During the last 15 years, he has met 30 of the very best boxers in the world, losing just twice, winning a total of 61 fights; in the last four years, he has met five very good men with unbeaten records. In May, in his last fight, he gave away years to a younger man and height, and outpointed a fellow Mexican: Jaime Munguia, who was unbeaten in 43 fights.
On Saturday at the T-Mobile in Las Vegas – a venue that will forever be linked with sensational Alvarez nights – he defends his two world super-middleweight belts when he fights Puerto Rico’s Edgar Berlanga, who is five years younger and unbeaten in 22 fights with 17 knockouts. Still, amazingly, the critics accuse Alvarez of avoiding men, picking his victims and dictating the terms. Well, and here is a boxing reality check, Alvarez has done enough in the sport and for the sport to be able to do what he wants. It really is that simple.
The IBF, one of the four recognised sanctioning bodies, recently stripped Alvarez of their belt because he refused to agree terms or even consider a fight with the Cuban-born, but Berlin-based, William Scull; it would have been a stupid move, a fight that nobody wants to see. No disrespect to Scull, but he has not fought anybody of note. He will, presumably, fight for the vacant IBF super-middleweight title. The crazy thing is that nobody is buying a ticket or the pay-per-view on Saturday because Alvarez is risking his WBO and WBC belts – they are paying to see Alvarez, their idol. In the present climate, the sanctioning bodies need to be mindful of their roles going forward.
The IBF did something similarly ridiculous a few months ago when they threatened to “strip” Oleksandr Usyk after he had unified all four heavyweight belts in his fight with Tyson Fury; Usyk handled the problem with class and handed the belt to Daniel Dubois, who held the interim version at the time. Now Dubois defends the full version against Anthony Joshua at Wembley in front of 96,000 on 21 September. Usyk has the upper ground, having beaten both men.
There have been calls for Alvarez to fight a formidable opponent called David Benavidez, and it would be sensational. Alvarez is asking for and getting, it seems, closer to a desired purse of in excess of $100,000m for the fight. Eddie Hearn, who promotes Berlanga but has worked very closely with Alvarez for the last four years, believes that money is the simple key to getting Alvarez in the ring with Benavidez. “Canelo is not afraid of anybody, he just wants to get paid,” Hearn said.
In the last few weeks, Turki Al-Sheikh, the man behind the Saudi Arabian boxing revolution, has talked about making an Alvarez fight; he would have the money to make it happen. And that often means that it will happen. It needs to be noted that Al-Sheikh is not a fan of the sanctioning bodies.
Meanwhile, another dangerous man will try to end Alvarez’s truly remarkable career on Saturday night; Berlanga has the power and the motivation to pull off an upset, but then again, so have so many undefeated men in the last few years. Alvarez, you see, finds a way to get what he wants on both sides of the ropes.
