Canelo Alvarez still talks like the central figure at super middleweight even though he no longer held all the belts after his loss to Terence Crawford.
“They have to fight each other, and then I find out the winner,” Canelo told Mr. Verzace. “We all have to earn what we deserve at some point, right? And they have to.”
The comments were notable because Canelo is no longer a world champion at 168, but he still speaks from a position that allows him to bypass the same contender route he believes others must follow.
Since his loss to Crawford last September and time away following elbow surgery, the belts at 168 have spread across a new group of champions that include Christian Mbilli, Hamzah Sheeraz, Osleys Iglesias and Jaime Munguia.
Despite a loss, Canelo will still receive an immediate world title shot against Mbilli on September 12 in Riyadh.
This has sparked criticism from some fans who believe the former undisputed champion must now be the one to prove himself against dangerous contenders before receiving another title opportunity.
Fighters like Lester Martinez, Diego Pacheco and Bektemir Melikuziev have all been mentioned by fans as the kind of opponents Canelo would normally face if he was treated like a standard contender instead of boxing’s biggest commercial star.
Canelo also dismissed the idea of scrutinizing the newer names entering the division.
“I never look at it,” he said when asked about the current super middleweight landscape.
For many fans, that reaction only reinforced the feeling that Canelo still sees himself as operating above the rest of the division, even though he no longer holds all the belts.
However, the Mexican star remains the sport’s biggest financial draw, allowing him to move differently than most fighters coming off a loss. As younger contenders continue to try and fight their way into position, Canelo is headed straight back to another championship fight.
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Last updated on 2026/05/24 at 21:10
