New York – Now it is official because we can truly call Canelo Alvarez the Face Of Boxing. He can be called the King of boxing and holder of all four title belts in the super middleweight division after his 11th round TKO Saturday in Las Vegas over Caleb Plant.
Take this another step further. Canelo Alvarez is now one of six undisputed champions in the four belt era, joining Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Terence Crawford, Oleksandi Usyk and Josh Taylor.
Teofimo Lopez has three titles as the lightweight champion, but the WBC has another bogus championship, and in all fairness, Devin Haney has a right to his title as called by the sanctioning organization.
But this is all about Canelo Alvarez who has every right to his claim as undisputed and unified super middleweight champion, the first from Mexico to have that stature.
He has become an icon and legend, In fact, Julio Caesar Chavez the Mexican legend and Hall of Famer, could officially been bypassed. And many in boxing will not dispute the status and continuing legacy that continues for Canelo Alvarez.
Here is a brief look at some facts and the last 12-months;
Canelo Alvarez:
4-0 3 KO’s
Four Super Middleweight titles
Out landed opponents, 471-271
116,526 tickets sold
ShowtimePay-Per-View numbers preliminary from Saturday: Just under 1 million buys
He is a draw and considered an all-time great. It’s just a matter now of what remains active for Canelo Alvarez? He can defend all the titles and continue to dominate, or move up in weight and try to unify more titles at light heavyweight.
Or settle the score with Gennady Golovkin at 168. Two of their previous fights, at middleweight were controversial and Alvarez always seeks a decisive win. A blockbuster trilogy is always good for boxing.
Amanda Westcott/Showtime
Regardless, boxing will wait for Alvarez and when he fights next. But that won’t come for months, because he said the body needs rest. So an assumption, May around Cinco De Mayo, a time Alvarez has kept on his boxing schedule is logical.
Though undefeated David Benavidez wants that opportunity at Alvarez but his Showtime Boxing main event this Saturday, once a 12-round 168-title eliminator was negated and reduced to 10-rounds versus Kyrone Davis, a new opponent due to Jose Uzcategui failing a drug test.
It was supposed to be a tough fight with Billy Joe Saunders in May, but it became a typical Alvarez TKO, a third title in the division that led to the historic unification of the titles.
He wants to be known as the greatest fighter from Mexico. Canelo Alvarez after unifying those titles can’t be disputed.
Rich Mancuso: Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
