Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez turns 32 today, this an age that, in the case of some great fighters, proved to be a turning point in their careers. 32 is by no means an advanced age by today’s standards, today being a time when a fighter of 40, even 50 remaining active is no shocker. Yet Canelo has had a whole lot of fights and he has been a pro for some 16-and-a-half years. That’s a long time, and Canelo has, as the saying goes, plenty of miles on the clock. Canelo may be some months removed from his prime, too. We all know Canelo is coming off a loss, a pretty one-sided loss at that, this at the light-heavyweight hands of Dmitry Bivol.
Canelo is not used to losing; his ego is not used to it. Canelo is now aiming to, A: beat Gennady Golovkin (who is seriously advanced in age at 40, and who has even more miles on the clock than his bitter rival), and then, B: get revenge over Bivol. But can Canelo do it – can he win both fights? In terms of the Bivol rematch, Canelo may have to wait a while, as Bivol may first fight Joshua Buatsi, and then Gilberto Ramirez. What might Canelo, if he’s victorious over GGG in fight-three, do while he waits for his revenge shot at the Russian warrior?
Is the 175 pound division a step too far for Canelo? Will Canelo begin to visibly slow down now, as he approaches his mid-30s (Oscar De La Hoya recently commented on the way Canelo has never had fast feet)? Only time will tell. But Canelo, an amazing 57-2-2(39) has already accomplished so much: world titles at 154, 160, 168 (unified all four belts) and 175 – and it might be tough for him, as vastly rich as he is, to maintain his hunger and desire as he gets older. But on the other hand, Canelo is a most ambitious person, a man who intensely dislikes failure. Canelo wants to punish Golovkin and then he desperately wants to beat Bivol in a return.
Canelo could as we know, have opted to “play it safe” and stay at 168, this his natural weight, yet he has dared to be great and he seems set to continue doing so. Maybe Canelo can add to his game at age 32 and beyond, maybe he can come up with a vastly superior game plan in a rematch with Bivol. Or maybe Canelo’s best days have passed him by. Again, only time will tell. Yet if Canelo were to retire right now (he won’t of course) he has more than done enough for a place in The Hall of Fame. But Canelo wants more, he wants supremacy, the kind he once had. Whether his body can allow him to earn this is a question nobody can answer.
Canelo has spoken in the past of fighting until he’s 40 years old. Maybe he will do so. Maybe Canelo has enough left to be able to earn the status of undisputed all-time great. Maybe.
