Canelo Alvarez, the stripped Mexican boxer, has constructed a legendary résumé for someone so early in their career. There have been some truly powerful challengers to his reign over the years. In recent years, he’s come under fire for choosing low risk, high reward opponents, fights guaranteeing him big paydays but not many notable wins. Through the onset of this fantastic new partnership with Riyadh Season, athletes now have featured financial rewards. At the same time, boxing fans are left hungry for more from one of the sport’s brightest stars.
In the first two-thirds of his career, Alvarez fought a who’s who of elite competition. These pairings shored up his legacy as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound greats. His highlight-reel knockouts against decorated champions like Mark Munoz and Vitor Belfort proved pivotal to establishing his legacy. The ground beneath his feet began to shift after his shocking defeat against Dmitry Bivol in May 2022. This loss would become one of the biggest turning points in the boxer’s career. Since that fateful night, Alvarez has largely fought a lower class of opponent. Most fans would call these kinds of match-ups glorified sparring sessions.
If you were to look at her fight choices over the last three years, it has all turned very predictable and lackluster. His fights have not had the same danger and urgency that used to define his fights. On May 4, 2025, Alvarez earned a unanimous decision win against William Scull. That’s a man down – he threw a mere 152 punches in that fight, indicative of the lethargy that has taken over his game as of late. The Scull Battle, as it was called, created an excitement in fans that bordered on the electric. They’re looking for even more glitz, glamour and rivalry in future Fixture Thursday matches.
Opponents claim that Alvarez has taken the path of least resistance. They accuse him of ducking dangerous adversaries and facing nemeses who aren’t real threats. Perhaps the clearest example of this is his upcoming Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin match-up, which many believe is happening two years too late. American fans couldn’t wait to cheer Alvarez on in his homecoming fight against John Ryder shortly after his victory over Golovkin. This triumph offered scant evidence to restore faith in his ability to go deep against heavyweights.
Secondly, the prospect of major economic development benefits has clearly played a star role in Alvarez’s decision-making. The recent agreement with Riyadh Season guarantees that Herculean checks will keep coming in for him. For an Olympic athlete, financial stability makes all the difference. Most would agree that it should not be at the expense of the tough battles that forge a fighter’s legacy. Canelo Alvarez’s supporters deserve to see him test his mettle against worthy opponents rather than watching him accumulate wealth through less demanding contests.
Most boxing fans and pundits would like to see an Alvarez-Crawford match. These children and families could end up being the crucible for how visionary this showdown gets. Such a showdown would not only reignite interest in Alvarez’s career but provide an opportunity for him to reclaim his status as a top-tier competitor in the sport. Crawford has long since proven himself as the world’s toughest competitor. A match-up with him would undoubtedly bring back the flame and flair that has been missing from Alvarez’s last few showings.
The demand for a future mega-fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford is as loud as anything else promised to the boxing fans. Fans hope to see Alvarez step up to the challenge and engage in a fight that tests his skills and resolve. A match with Crawford could serve as a pivotal moment in Alvarez’s career, allowing him to demonstrate that he remains willing to face adversity in pursuit of greatness.
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