Is this your boxing face?

by Manny Delgado: Boxing's biggest superstar, hailed by the sport itself as the face of boxing, considered by many to be an arguable living legend, will undoubtedly cement his place in the Boxing Hall of Fame as one of the greatest Mexican fighters ever. That being said, his last four fights, like the last year and a half, have left a lot to be desired. All easily winnable fights that posed no real threat to him and weren't even remotely competitive. This leaves many fans of the sport wondering, “Is this the face of your boxing?”

Needless to say, fans have not been happy with his recent fight choices, and it begs the question, “Should Canelo continue boxing or should he retire to play golf instead?” As he appeared to enjoy himself well, at one point even being criticized by the boxing media for playing too many times and not paying enough attention to his boxing training.

Canelo vs. Benavidez

In his defense, we can say that he has earned the right to pick the fights he wants, something Canelo often claims as well. After doing all this, in 2021 to become the only super middleweight champion of the world in the history of the sport and face the best offers in his weight class. Still, one huge asterisk remains, and that is boogeyman David Benavidez, otherwise known as 'The Mexican Monster' and for exceptional reasons.

His high volume, fast and explosive style has been cited as one that can give Canelo's low output, primarily counterpunching nature, huge problems. Stylistically, it's the type of fighting clash that could go down as an instant classic. Depending on who wins, it could propel Benavidez to superstardom, defeating the “face of boxing” himself, or, in Canelo's case, silencing the Nasarados once and for all, officially being recognized as the man who defeated, who many Considered his biggest challenge so far.

Canelo and Benavidez's verbal sparring spanned a year in a heated exchange between their opposing views, with Canelo briefly saying in an interview:

“He brings nothing to the table for me; He brings another 25 pounds to fight night.”

It was more than 10 months ago, when Canelo recently claimed he would fight Benavidez if the purse was $150 million to $200 million. To which Benavidez responds with a vexed disposition:

“@Canello, if I have nothing to offer, why are you claiming you have 150-200 million to fight someone worthless? Hopefully, after you make that 150 million, you'll have enough left over to buy a pair of nuts.”

Benavidez's argument, along with other statements he's made about the fight, is, in effect, why are lesser opponents gifted with winning the Canelo sweepstakes? And not him, who deserves more. Whether or not we'll ever see an official fight poster that reads “Canelo vs. Benavidez” remains to be seen and is currently one of the biggest questions in the sport of boxing.

Canelo vs. Crawford

That being said, most recently, there is a rumor that Canelo vs. Crawford is in the works for September 13 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas at 168 pounds. A matchup that can offer what you can consider guaranteed excitement due to Crawford's impressive boxing skills. He is considered one of the sport's most well-rounded or “complete” boxers with multiple high-level attributes that make him as adaptable as a fighter, currently undefeated with a record of 41-0 and 2x welterweight (140) and super The lightweight (147) is the undisputed champion in both weight classes.

In Canelo's case, we'll say he's the former undisputed middleweight champion (168) who has beaten everyone who has posed a legitimate challenge to him, arguably at least, since most fans agree he lost to Golovkin the first time around, and consecutive rematches are largely considered one. Who won is a matter of opinion, as they are not considered decisive victories for either side, depending on who you ask, but that is another matter entirely. Apart from this and the huge star of whether or not he can beat Benavidez, Canelo is considered the current face of boxing due to his impressive resume and equally impressive boxing ability. Primarily known for his elite-level counterpunching ability and slick defense that have earned him fight highlights that delight purists and casual fans alike.

A mega-fight such as these fans consider a fantasy matchup, perhaps unfolding in reality, would be a huge blockbuster draw, but even so, Canelo is actually pretty dismissive of Crawford, as far as he can tell:

“Look, I respect Terence Crawford. He's very talented, but he just won a big fight. If you look at his record, he just beat a good fighter. Besides, he couldn't beat other good fighters like Spence.”

Crawford, in turn, confidently responded on Twitter with:

“Noted! Just remember what you said because I've always had the pleasure of pretending to be nobody.”

This potential fight, while it offers high potential for excitement during the buildup and once they touch gloves, has many fans questioning whether a fight where a very light Crawford moves up two weight classes to fight a man who is naturally much heavier than him. . Even worth considering a fight. We've all seen when a naturally smaller fighter moves up in weight to fight a bigger man and it rarely ends well; Crawford's exceptional boxing skills aside, strength, endurance and mobility do not translate well from lightweight through the upper weight classes.

Canelo vs. Buffalo

For example, fairly recently, Canelo moved up to light heavyweight (174) to fight Bivol, a fight considered “a cherrypick gone wrong” by casual fans, but die-hard fans of the sport know better, and Bivol is Canelo's biggest challenge to date. may be . Canelo looked completely out of his element in the fight against Bivol, not only because Bivol is elite with their high mobility and intensity, Soviet style, but because Canelo seemed like he was carrying extra weight which made it difficult. Moved, which he was. Already considered a heavy- and flat-footed fighter who looked like he was walking in mud, adding more literal weight to his fighting frame was not a good combination. Not to mention, his gas tank eventually ran out, and he kept getting tagged by shots that he probably could have otherwise blocked or avoided, taking no credit from Bivol's ability to place shots effectively. In short, if Bivol and Canelo were both at 168, Canelo would probably get hurt less.

Possible verdict on Canelo vs. Crawford

Could Crawford face a similar verdict? Whereas to many, despite being a “perfect” warrior, more like a chameleon than a human. Will his boxing skills translate to moving up a full two weight classes? Or will he suffer the fate of Canelo? And naturally falling short of the big man, his skill is striking massively through added fighting weight. Any opinion on this matter is purely speculation, and no one can say for sure what the outcome will be, the only thing that is certain is that not only will Crawford be in the ring against Canelo, but he will be fighting himself. You are usually not used to fighting for the flaws of fighting at a weight If there's any man or boxer who can overcome both challenges, it's Crawford. Because of that, despite being considered an unnecessary fight by many fans of the sport, it could still be a very promising and entertaining fight.

Canelo's legacy

But aside from this potential matchup, what's next for Canelo? Will he finally face off against his personal boogeyman David Benavidez? If we follow the full account of events and the indirect exchange between the two, it seems very unlikely. The most reasonable prediction would be that he continues to play the sport of boxing where his opponents pose no real threat to him, thereby continuing his retirement tour with no clear ending or expectations for anything different from him. What do you personally believe in the near future for Canelo? And how does that affect his overall legacy as a fighter?