For many years, Saul Canelo Alvarez sat on top of boxing’s pound-for-pound list.
Canelo is a multi-weight world champion who has beaten just about all comers including Billy Joe Saunders, Miguel Cotto, Danny Jacobs, Gennady Golovkin, Callum Smith and plenty more.
He has lost just twice, once against Floyd Mayweather early in his career, and once more recently against light heavyweight Dmitry Bivol back in 2022 – a loss he has often spoken about wanting to avenge.
Canelo was recently asked to draft an ideal boxing team at various weights. When it came to heavyweight he didn’t hesitate to make his pick and went for the division’s most recent ruler.
“Usyk.”
The Ukrainian is currently deep in a second training camp for Tyson Fury. The first fight in May made history by crowning the first undisputed champion in almost a quarter of a century since Lennox Lewis last held the honour.
It was a close contest which saw both men have periods of success. A standout round nine for Usyk saw him land the fight’s biggest shot and send his opponent to the ropes where he was given an 8 count by the referee, and that proved to be the difference on the scorecards.
The rematch in December is for just three of the belts as Usyk had to vacate the IBF in order to make it happen. Whoever comes out on top, though, could well hunt down the holder of it, Daniel Dubois, to once again go for undisputed honours in the New Year.
