Canelo Vs Jermall Charlo May 4 With Crawford Possibly Next
The reigning undisputed super middleweight champion, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs), is the most visible and high-profile figure in boxing. But it seems that as time passes, he is a fighter losing more and more credibility from the folks who matter the most – the boxing fans. He is expected to fight the WBC champion at 160 pounds, Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs) on May 4. If successful against Charlo, Alvarez is strongly considering a battle with reigning welterweight champion Terence Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs).
THE BACKLASH
This development has drawn the ire of plenty in the boxing community. Many fans want to see Canelo fight two-time WBC champion David “The Mexican Monster” Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) or the current WBA Regular champion, David Morrell (10-0, 9 KOs).
Since becoming undisputed champion with an eleventh-round stoppage over Caleb Plant in November 2021, Alvarez hasn’t faced an elite fighter at 168. Benavidez is Canelo’s mandatory challenger and has been calling for a fight with the undisputed champion. Morrell has established himself as a force in the division.
Charlo has only fought once since June 2021. While it’s true that he’s undefeated, the middleweight champion has done absolutely nothing to earn that kind of opportunity. Would he even do better than his twin brother, Jermell, who shamed himself while losing to Alvarez in September 2023?
BUSINESS-FIRST MINDSET
It is known that Canelo doesn’t abide by the wishes of the public. The Mexican superstar fights who he wants, when he wants. He and his team have their agenda, and it’s been that way for many years.
The reality is that among boxing insiders, the prevailing thought has been that Alvarez’s next fight would be against Charlo. Alvarez previously said he was uninterested in fighting Crawford.
Some may ask why Canelo would change his tune about fighting Crawford. The answer comes down to the almighty dollar. A battle between Alvarez and Crawford in the fall of 2024 is a super fight that would draw the mainstream sports crowd. Canelo is a very astute businessman. He knows a substantial payday when he sees it. However, that will not satisfy a large chunk of the boxing community who feel that Benavidez and Morrell should be at the front of the line of the Canelo Sweepstakes.
Alvarez is currently in the middle of a three-fight deal with PBC. It’s going to be interesting seeing if PBC gives the thumbs-up for these matchups to occur. But if they do, Canelo is on the verge of selling himself out for high-profile matches against smaller fighters and avoiding the most dangerous and deserving contenders in his division.
