LAS VEGAS — Canelo Alvarez eliminated his designer sun shades to disclose the type of lethal critical expression that is all too acquainted to his 39 knockout opponents.
Solely this time, the goal of his white-hot rage wasn’t one other fighter in any respect — not less than not an lively one — however Oscar De La Hoya, the Corridor of Fame boxer who promoted Alvarez from 2010 till their ugly break-up in 2020.
For the primary time since November 2019, Alvarez and De La Hoya shared a stage throughout combat week as Alvarez prepares to defend his undisputed tremendous middleweight championship towards Mexican countryman Jaime Munguia on Saturday at T-Cellular Area (8 p.m. ET, Prime Video PPV).
Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) is co-promoted by De La Hoya, who as soon as occupied Canelo’s place because the singular face of boxing for a lot of the Nineties and 2000s. And whereas “The Golden Boy” taunted Alvarez with a bundle of digging remarks to the star fighter’s character, taking intention at Alvarez’s failed doping check forward of his 2018 rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin, Munguia may solely snigger.
“Sure, there have been occasions that work was not my precedence primarily based on my psychological well being, which I had uncared for for thus lengthy,” De La Hoya informed Alvarez. “However that does not change the truth that Golden Boy constructed Canelo over this era.”
Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) responded with an expletive-laced tirade on the “fool” he despises, saying, “attempt to not neglect that I used to be already Canelo after I got here to the USA and that he solely profited from my title. He by no means misplaced a single cent, however as an alternative made cash. Have you ever already paid Golovkin what you wished to steal from him?”
De La Hoya informed ESPN on Wednesday that GGG was paid “every thing he is owed” following Golovkin’s 2022 lawsuit towards Golden Boy Promotions, which sought upward of $3 million. On Thursday, De La Hoya despatched Alvarez a authorized letter demanding that Canelo stop and desist from additional “defamatory allegations” and retract his feedback.
Alvarez confirmed Wednesday that he nonetheless has loads of combat left in him — a burning need in spite of everything these years to hit again at foes inside and outdoors the ring. In an period the place boxers normally prepare close to the comforts of residence, Alvarez as soon as once more went away for coaching camp to his cabin within the mountains of California close to Lake Tahoe in Tulare.
Alvarez now seems to be coming into a special stage of his profession, the place he flexes his muscle as the only real face of boxing. Throughout his storied profession, he usually sought out the game’s most-avoided fighters — Dmitry Bivol, Austin Trout and Erislandy Lara amongst them — in quest of legacy.
Days forward of his sixty fifth professional combat and two months shy of his thirty fourth birthday, Alvarez’s place in boxing’s storied historical past is undoubtedly secured. He’ll be a first-ballot Corridor of Famer every time he retires, with an opportunity to surpass Julio Cesar Chavez as Mexico’s all-time best boxer.
Canelo reacts to presser fireworks: De La Hoya ‘simply needs consideration’
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya trade their sides of the story after they got here face-to-face with one another in a information convention.
Canelo has been a staple of boxing’s pound-for-pound checklist (at present ESPN’s No. 4) for twenty years, delivering matchups followers clamored for, most notably a traditional trilogy with GGG. These days, he is resisted rising public demand for a conflict with rising star David Benavidez, who occupies the No. 2 place in ESPN’s tremendous middleweight rankings.
However slightly than Benavidez, Alvarez will defend his 168-pound crown vs. Munguia on Cinco de Mayo weekend. The champion is a -525 favourite, per ESPN BET, to show again ESPN’s No. 4 168-pounder.
“[Benavidez] brings nothing to the desk for me,” Alvarez stated in March at a information convention in Beverly Hills, California. “He simply brings 25 further kilos on the night time of the combat. That is it. … If a promoter who I work with gives $150 to $200 million, then I will combat tomorrow. That is the one cause I will combat with him.”
De La Hoya earned a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands throughout his run, identical to Alvarez after him, and confronted the identical stress to proceed taking up the hardest challenges.
“When a fighter mentions a quantity that prime, $150, $200 million, in different phrases, I do not need to combat him,” De La Hoya informed ESPN final month. ” … Canelo is available in after Mayweather [as boxing’s top star] and he is setting the instance that it is concerning the payday. … The entire world needs that he would combat Benavidez and lead by instance.
“That combat should occur. We’re on a great roll proper now with having good fights, and we should proceed to make these massive fights occur. And for the primary time in a very long time, the informal fan is asking for this combat. It is form of like Mayweather-[Manny] Pacquiao. It is that kind of state of affairs. So it’s going to be a disgrace if Canelo does not [fight Benavidez].”
EARLY IN HIS profession, Alvarez constructed a popularity for chasing dangerous fights. At age 20, he squeezed previous Trout, a difficult southpaw who was just about unknown. Months later, in September 2013, Alvarez challenged his predecessor as boxing’s prime star, “Cash” Mayweather.
Alvarez was nonetheless growing and never in his prime but, however he was already a star. Nonetheless, he made weight concessions (a catchweight of 152 kilos) to land the career-best alternative with Mayweather and was soundly dominated. Alvarez later credited that junior middleweight title combat defeat as a studying expertise that will carry him to the highest of the game, and maintain him there.
It was one other 9 years till Alvarez would lose once more. He discovered himself in a a lot totally different place however nonetheless pursued the tougher matchups. Somewhat than defend his 4 168-pound titles vs. Jermall Charlo, a middleweight, Alvarez elected to problem Bivol for his 175-pound championship.
Like Trout, the Russian boxer possessed expertise that far exceeded his profile. Bivol went on to rout Alvarez in a combat that knocked Alvarez from his pound-for-pound perch. That is why, it seems, Alvarez has no drawback saying no this time round to Benavidez.
He absorbed criticism for the setback regardless of it being simply his second combat at 175 kilos. The loss nonetheless eats at Alvarez in the present day; Canelo informed ESPN he stays fascinated by a Bivol rematch at gentle heavyweight.
“All people say ‘no, it is a straightforward combat,’ however I knew [Bivol] was a extremely good fighter and one other weight class,” Alvarez stated. “So I take my threat. And I at all times combat with each single fighter … and I at all times show myself there and I at all times show [to] all people. However not anymore. I am uninterested in that as a result of it is by no means goes to be sufficient for them. I am going to do that for me, for my folks and that is it.”
Certainly, followers will at all times foyer to see one other new fighter land the Alvarez matchup. That is the character of boxing once you’re the highest star. It is with good cause that an Alvarez-Benavidez combat is so extremely anticipated.
“I believe it’s a totally different period for me,” Alvarez informed ESPN final month. ” … In case you see my historical past, it is at all times someone else [fans want me to face] when I’ve a combat. … Proper now with Benavidez. It is at all times there. So I do not actually deal with that anymore as a result of it is by no means going to be sufficient for some folks.”
“I at all times combat the most effective on the market and I am pleased with my profession and I am able [where] I can do no matter I would like as a result of I combat for it,” he added. ” … I sacrifice myself and … I deserve this place due to every thing I did earlier than.”
Alvarez nonetheless seems close to the height of his powers following a pair of dominant victories final yr over John Ryder and Jermell Charlo. Alvarez broke Ryder’s nostril in a Mexico homecoming final Could, and 4 month later outboxed Charlo, who refused to interact. Canelo floored each opponents.
Benavidez, too, loved a banner 2023 in what amounted to a breakout marketing campaign. In March, he outpointed Caleb Plant, whom Alvarez stopped in November 2021, and TKO’d Demetrius Andrade in November. Benavidez doled out brutal beatings in each bouts, elevating the quantity on the requires a summit assembly with Alvarez.
“I am not going to be ready on Canelo,” Benavidez informed ESPN in March. “After I combat Canelo, my profession does not finish. It is irritating, but it surely provides me a foul title on the finish of the day, too. … The explanation why this combat is just not occurring is as a result of Canelo does not need it to occur, plain and easy.”
There’s little doubt Benavidez — a volume-punching machine with energy in each palms — would current a harmful problem. He is a lot greater than Canelo, for one. Alvarez gained his first title at 154 kilos and is 5-foot-8. Benavidez is 10 years youthful, 36 fights more energizing and is a profession 168-pounder at 6-foot-2 with a 4-inch attain benefit over Alvarez.
When he could not entice Canelo into the ring, Benavidez moved as much as 175 kilos for a June 15 bout with former champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
WHEN ALVAREZ SIGNED a three-fight cope with PBC final June, hope grew that the transfer would result in an eventual conflict with Benavidez, a longtime PBC boxer. Alvarez went on to face Jermell Charlo within the first combat of the deal, with plans to satisfy his twin brother within the second bout of the settlement on Saturday. However after Jermell’s listless efficiency, the combat towards Jermall turned a tough promote.
“What Jermell did within the final combat is just not going to be good for the eyes on the folks,” Alvarez stated. “It will be the identical man. Oh, his brother did a extremely dangerous combat. And I believe this combat with Munguia is best than the Charlo combat. I believe he deserved the combat. He win good fights, he enhance lots and he is very respectful to me. So I believe he deserve it extra.”
As Canelo advances to the latter a part of his profession, respect seems extra vital to him than ever earlier than. He is at all times proven respect to his opponents, and is not trying to reward fighters, he stated, who do not reciprocate. He laughs on the thought he ought to punish disrespectful fighters by gifting them the career-high payday that accompanies a shot on the sport’s prime star.
“Let me beat you, provide you with big-money payday,” Alvarez stated mockingly. “No, not anymore. … Respect is vital. And I do know it is a combat, however after I combat, I combat with plenty of fighters who speak plenty of s—, speak plenty of issues, and so they do not do s— within the ring.”
Plant earned a career-high $10 million, and Munguia will exceed that quantity. Benavidez has by no means earned greater than round $3 million. Alvarez is not involved with critics at this stage, particularly his former promoter turned rival. De La Hoya gives a novel perspective as a fighter who starred atop the game — from his 1992 Olympic gold medal win to his remaining combat towards Pacquiao in December 2008.
“The way in which I noticed it was whoever I’ve to combat, and he is the most effective, I combat,” De La Hoya stated. “I did not fear about no payday [for the opponent]. I at all times put my legacy first. What’s it going to take for me to get to the highest? What’s it going to take for me to be thought-about the most effective? Properly, I’ve to combat the most effective.”
MUNGUIA MIGHT BE a comfort prize in Benavidez’s absence on the correct facet of the marquee, but it is nonetheless an anticipated matchup, particularly for Mexican followers. Munguia represents Alvarez’s first countryman foe since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Could 2017.
Canelo has lengthy stated he does not want to combat fellow Mexicans however made an exception for Munguia. “That is historical past for Mexico as a result of it is the primary time two Mexicans, they going to combat for 4 belts.”
“Munguia is a extremely good fighter,” Alvarez added. “It is a younger fighter who throws plenty of punches, who is robust, who’s hungry. So it is a threat for me.”
A threat, maybe, however a small one in comparison with the perils of combating Benavidez.
“Fighters normally know, completely,” De La Hoya stated. “… There is a tiny concern in each fighter. There needs to be. Even Mike Tyson will say there is a tiny concern, and that concern is at all times dropping. [Benavidez is] a youthful man, he is the larger man, he is quick, he is sturdy, he throws plenty of punches. See anyone throwing punches and punches shall be an issue for Canelo at this level of his profession. … He’ll get knocked out. He’ll get beat.
“Clearly he is a businessman,” he added. “That is precisely what he’s on the fourth quarter of his profession. He is a businessman and there is nothing incorrect with that, however not less than have some balls to combat the most effective man in entrance of you.”
So Alvarez will head into Saturday’s combat, the sixty fifth of his illustrious profession, trying to preserve his No. 4 spot on ESPN’s pound-for-pound checklist, his undisputed tremendous middleweight championship and, most of all, his iron grip because the face of boxing.
A win over Munguia seemingly will not come as simply as his two earlier victories. In spite of everything, Munguia is contemporary, sturdy, unbeaten and decided to dethrone a person he is lengthy dreamed of combating.
It is also a full-circle second for Munguia. As a 21-year-old, he agreed to switch Alvarez following his PED suspension and combat GGG, just for the Nevada fee to say no approval, citing Munguia’s inexperience. Six years to the day, Munguia has his life-altering alternative, and he is rather more ready for the shot.
“Working with the legend Freddie Roach has actually motivated me,” Munguia stated final month following a exercise at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Membership in Hollywood, California. “He has my confidence very excessive and … he is introduced plenty of peace and tranquility to my nook.”
Canelo is at peace, too. At peace together with his legacy, his standing within the sport and, most of all, his freedom to combat whomever he pleases.
“I simply need to do no matter I would like and put clearly actually good fights on the market,” Alvarez stated. ” … I believe once you deserve it, once you did every thing, once you combat with all people, once you do the proper issues, I believe you are able to do no matter you need.”