This is your face of boxing?
by Manny Delgado: The biggest star in boxing, hailed as the face of boxing by the sport itself, considered by many to be an arguable living legend, who will undoubtedly cement his place in the Boxing Hall of Fame as one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time. However, his last four fights, as of the last year and a half, have left a lot to be desired. All easily winnable fights that posed no real threat to him and weren't even the least bit competitive. It has left many fans of the sport wondering: “Is this your face in boxing?”
Needless to say, fans have not been happy with his recent match choices, and it begs the question: “Should Canelo continue boxing or should he retire from golf instead?” He has also been noted to be having quite the fun, and at one point was even criticized by the boxing media for playing too much and not focusing on his boxing training enough.
Canelo vs Benavidez
In his defense, we can say that he has earned the right to choose his fights as he pleases, and Canelo often claims that as well. Having done it all, he has gone so far as to become the only super middleweight champion of the world in the history of the sport in 2021 and take on the best the sport has to offer in his weight class. However, one huge asterisk remains, and that is the bogeyman David Benavidez, also known as the “Mexican Monster,” for an extraordinary reason.
His big, fast and explosive style is cited as a style that can give Canelo's low production, especially his counter-punching disposition, major problems. Stylistically, it's the kind of melee combat that could be considered an instant classic. Depending on who wins, it could catapult Benavidez to stardom, having defeated the very man who is the “Face of Boxing,” or, in Canelo's case, silence the naysayers once and for all, as he is officially recognized as the man he beat, and the one who beat him. Lots of people. It is considered his biggest challenge yet.
The verbal spat between Canelo and Benavidez spanning over a year is a tense exchange between their opposing opinions on the matter, with Canelo briefly quoted as saying in an interview:
“He brings nothing to the table for me; He brought an extra 25 pounds on fight night.”
That was over 10 months ago, and Canelo recently claimed he would fight Benavidez if the purse was worth $150 million to $200 million. Benavidez responded angrily:
“@canelo, if I have nothing to offer, why are you asking for 150-200 million to fight someone who is worth nothing? Hopefully, after you get 150 million, you will have enough to buy a pair of nuts.
Benavidez's argument, along with other statements he's made regarding the fight, is in effect, why should lesser opponents be allowed the gift of winning the Canelo sweepstakes? And he is not the one who deserves it the most. Whether or not we'll see an official poster for the fight reading “Canelo vs. Benavidez” remains to be seen, which is currently one of the biggest questions in the sport of boxing.
Canelo vs. Crawford
However, recently, there is a rumor that the Canelo vs. Crawford is in the works for Sept. 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 168 pounds. A match that could provide what could be considered guaranteed excitement thanks to Crawford's impressive boxing skills. Considered one of the most well-rounded or “complete” boxers in the sport and possessing multiple high-level attributes that make him an adaptable fighter, he currently remains undefeated with a 41-0 record and a 2x undisputed champion in both weight classes, both at welterweight (140) and middleweight Very light (147).
In Canelo's case, it's a former undisputed middleweight champion (168) who has beaten everyone who posed a legitimate challenge to him, at least, since most fans agree he lost to Golovkin the first time around, and back-to-back rematches are considered fairly Big as a defeat. A matter of opinion about who won, as they are not considered decisive victories for either party, depending on who you ask, but that is another topic entirely. Aside from this and the huge asterisk on whether or not he can beat Benavidez, Canelo is widely considered the current face of boxing due to his impressive resume and equally impressive boxing ability. He is primarily known for his elite-level counterpunching ability and masterful defense which has earned him a marquee fight that will please purists and casual fans alike.
A big fight like this is considered by fans to be a fantasy match that, perhaps it would materialize in reality, would be a massive draw, but despite this, Canelo is actually very dismissive towards Crawford, going so far as to say:
“Look, I respect Terence Crawford. He's very talented, but he's only won one fight. If you see his record, he's only beaten one good fighter. Other than that, he hasn't beaten other good fighters like Spence.”
Crawford, in turn, responded confidently on Twitter with the following:
“Male! Just remember what I said because I've always enjoyed making someone look like a nobody.
This potential fight, although it offers great potential for potential excitement during the buildup and once gloves touch, has many fans wondering if a fight in which the lighter Crawford moves up two weight classes to fight a man who is naturally much heavier than him is a fight worth considering. . We've all seen what happens when a naturally smaller fighter moves up in weight to fight a bigger guy, and it rarely ends well; Regardless of Crawford's exceptional boxing skills, strength, stamina and mobility do not translate well from lighter weight to higher weight classes.
Canelo vs. Buffalo
For example, Canelo recently moved up to light heavyweight (174) to fight Bivol, a fight casual fans considered a “cherry-picking mistake,” but die-hard fans of the sport knew better and that Bivol could be Canelo's biggest challenge yet. . Canelo looked completely out of his element in his fight against Bivol, not only because Bivol is as elite as they are, with his high movement, intensity and Soviet style, but because Canelo looked like he was carrying extra weight which made it difficult. To move, that was. Being a heavy, flat-footed fighter who looks like he's walking in mud, adding more literal weight to his fighting frame wasn't a good combination. Not to mention his tank eventually ran out, and he kept getting picked on for shots he could have blocked or dodged, taking no credit for Bivol's ability to hit his shots effectively. In short, if Bivol and Canelo had been 168, Canelo would likely have been injured less.
Potential ruling for Canelo vs. Crawford
Could Crawford face a similar sentence? Although he is what many consider a “complete” fighter, he is closer to a chameleon than a human. Will his boxing skills translate to lifting two full weight classes? Or will he simply suffer the same fate as Canelo? Not quite up to the standard of a naturally larger man, his skills took a massive hit from the added fighting weight. Any opinion on this matter is just speculation, and no one can say for sure what the outcome will be, the only thing that is certain is that Crawford will not only be in the ring against Canelo, but he will also be fighting himself because of it. For the disadvantages of fighting at a weight you're not used to fighting at. If there is any man or boxer who can overcome both challenges, it is certainly Crawford. For this reason, despite being considered an unnecessary fight by many sports fans, it is still a very promising and entertaining fight.
Canelo's legacy
But apart from this potential showdown, what's next for Canelo? Will he finally face his personal bogeyman, David Benavidez? If we are to trace the entire narrative of events and indirect exchanges between the two, this seems highly unlikely. A more reasonable prediction would be to say that he continues to present a sport of boxing in which his opponents pose no real threat to him, and thus continues his retirement tour with no clear end in sight or to expect anything different from him. What do you personally think will happen in the near future for Canelo? How does this affect his overall legacy as a fighter?
