Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez feels he is right where he should be at 168 pounds. Canelo did fight up at light-heavyweight, this back in 2019 when he ripped the WBO 175 pound title from Sergey Kovalev. But this seems set to go down as a one-fight deal. Canelo, speaking with ESPN Deportes, said he felt “a little slow” up at 175, and that he “took a risk ” in going for, and winning, his fourth world title.
Now, comfortable and fully strong at super-middleweight, Canelo says he will stay put. The immediate plan is to relieve Billy Joe Saunders of his WBO 168 pound belt on May 8, before going for Caleb Plant and his IBF strap, maybe in September. After that, who knows (maybe that third and final fight with Gennady Golovkin?).
But those fans who were hoping to see Canelo move back up to 175 after unifying the titles at 168 are not going to get the big fights they want – Canelo going in with beasts Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev. Not unless Canelo changes his mind or begins to struggle to make the 168 pound weight limit, anyway.
Canelo has won enough titles, and as he points out, he did win a championship at light-heavyweight, and if he feels he is a natural 168 pounder we must respect Canelo’s decision. Some critics will no doubt say Canelo is “ducking ” the elite 175 pounders if he remains at 168, but what’s so wrong with a fighter staying at one weight and dominating that weight division? The great Marvelous Marvin Hagler never budged above middleweight his entire career and absolutely nobody holds that against him or his legacy. And this is how it should be; Hagler more than proving his greatness.
Canelo has plenty of big fights to keep him busy at 168, and, with the biggest star in the sport staying at super-middleweight, this may make the 168 pound division the glamour division of boxing.
Canelo did take a risk in going up to 175 and he has made it clear he is not a light-heavyweight. Who are we to disagree with him? Canelo will now cement his greatness whilst competing at his optimum weight.
