El Rey
By Eddie Sanchez
Canelo Alvarez improved to (57-1-2) in his TKO victory over the previously unbeaten Caleb Plant. The Champion embodied his No Boxing, No Life moniker to its fullest, as he is now the first Undisputed champion in the history of the Super Middleweight division.
Reaching undisputed status is impressive in an era that is handicapped by the politics of boxing. Often networks and promoters get in the way of unification bouts, but Canelo’s star-power and free agency status enabled him to etch his name as just the sixth member of the undisputed fraternity.
Previously, Canelo held 3/5 and 4/5 belts in the Light Middleweight and Middleweight divisions respectively. Throw in the WBO belt he earned in the Light Heavyweight Division, and his career is looking really nice right now.
Canelo Alvarez also flexed his PPV muscles for the first time in over four years. While going head to head against UFC 268 which featured the #1 P4P fighter Kamaru Usman, among other high profile bouts, Canelo-Plant reportedly sold 800,000 PPV buys. This accomplishment is impressive in its own right, but given the context, Showtime will surely be backing up the brinks truck to ensure Canelo fights more PPV events on their network in the immediate future.
Speaking of his future, there are many interesting possibilities for 2022 and beyond. Here are the most talked about options with weight class, network and belts (if applicable) also listed.
Jermall Charlo / Super Middleweight* / Showtime
David Benavidez / Super Middleweight / Showtime
Gennadiy Golovkin / Super Middleweight* / DAZN
Dmitry Bivol / Light Heavyweight / DAZN / WBA (Super)
Artur Beterbiev / Light Heavyweight / ESPN / WBC & IBF
Using the process of elimination based on if-then inferences, we can narrow this list in half when considering his May 2022 opponent. If Canelo wishes to defend his undisputed status at 168, then Charlo, Benavidez and Golovkin are options. If Canelo wishes to build his legacy further by adding belts at Light Heavyweight to more closely match his three lesser weight divisions, then Bivol and Beterbiev are options.
Each of these five men offer different ‘Pros’ for Canelo. Jermall will likely bring the most PPV buys, Benavidez will bring the most credibility at the 168 pound division, and Golovkin would offer a trilogy, which is something that many all time greats boast on their resumes. Likewise, Bivol would offer an opportunity at another light heavyweight belt and Beterbiev is easily the most difficult out of the five options.
Based on Canelo’s current standing in boxing, I believe it is best for Canelo to stick with his current division, unless he plans to move up and stay at 175. Playing weight-gymnastics is never a smart idea, so if Canelo intends to continue to add to his Super Middleweight legacy, he should handle that sooner rather than later. This would also allow Beterbiev, Bivol and to a lesser extent, Joe Smith Jr., to unify their division. While this is a discussion for another day, a future Beterbiev vs Smith Jr. matchup is very doable considering that both have a great relationship with ESPN.
Sticking with Canelo’s May 2022 bout, based on our assumption, we have three options: Charlo, Benavidez and Golovkin. I have no doubt in my mind that any of these three men would accept the challenge if offered, but I will say that I believe Charlo is the least likely out of the bunch to happen next. His history in the sport has been risk averse.
Given that he is currently at the Middleweight division, I expect his team to carefully ease him into Canelo’s weight class before taking him on. Fortunately, we have the perfect matchup for Charlo. Anthony Dirrell also fought on the Canelo-Plant PPV card and he delivered a vicious 4th round KO to Marco Hernandez. His resume and age offer the perfect balance for a high profile test-drive. Based on this deductive reasoning, it appears we are left with GGG and Benavidez as the most realistic options.
Either Benavidez or GGG would be an excellent matchup for Canelo, and spoiler alert, I think Canelo fights both men in 2022. They each offer the most to Canelo at his current weight class and fighting both would further cement himself as head-and-shoulders the undisputed champion.
Given their ages, I believe GGG has to be next. Benavidez is a month away from turning 25 years of age. Respectively, he has the time to wait (likely to Septemeber 2022). Golovkin on the other hand is 39, and will turn 40 in April. Canelo is at the peak of his powers both in the ring, and out of it. Singing off on a trilogy with his greatest foe will offer the most potential for brand recognition that he could get right now. Assuming Golovkin is victorious in December against Ryoto Murata, I fully expect to see Canelo-GGG III signed for May 2022.
