Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez was once considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. While he is still up there, there are now three fighters whose recent achievements are impossible to ignore.
One is Terence Crawford, who may have just landed a historic fight against Canelo. Crawford is, like the Mexican, a four-weight world champion and has been undisputed in two divisions. He wants to make the jump from super-welter to super-middle to face Alvarez later this year and talks are positive.
There is then Naoya Inoue, who has also held all four belts in two weight classes – bantam and super-bantam – and consistently entertains fans with spiteful knockouts in his home nation of Japan.
Finally is heavyweight ruler Oleksandr Usyk. Asked by the Ring Magazine if, besides himself, he considers Usyk the best fighter in the world, Canelo said yes.
“Yeah, of course.”
The two champions recently crossed paths in London and Canelo said he told him how good he was.
“He’s a very good fighter. I told him yesterday, you’re f***ing good. He deserves it.”
Usyk became the heavyweight division’s first undisputed champion in over two decades when he beat Tyson Fury in May of 2024. He did the double over the Brit – as he did with Anthony Joshua in the past – by winning their rematch in December.
Whilst many in the sport feel it is a perfect time for the Ukrainian southpaw to hang up the gloves, he has insisted he will fight on once, maybe twice, more. Usyk’s sights are set on the winner of IBF Champion Daniel Dubois against Joseph Parker on February 22.
If he can land that fight and remain undefeated, he will be two-time undisputed at heavyweight after being undisputed at cruiserweight previously – a record that will not be repeated for some time.
