Eight years on from defeat to Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez has reached the peak of his powers. He is undeniably the king of the sport.
Every fighter hits that point when physically, mentally, and spiritually they’re in the best place possible. Canelo is there now and looks close to unbeatable.
Floyd Mayweather enjoyed his time in the early 2010s when ironically, he gave Canelo his first loss. Back then, the “Money” man had been on the most impressive six-year streak of his career.
At 37, when Canelo came along, Mayweather was on his way back down the hill. But a combination of experience and guile against the youth of 23-year-old Canelo was too much of a mixture.
With Mayweather looking to retire soon, it was now or never for Canelo at that time. Looking back now, it was probably his shrewdest career move.
SPONGE
Sharing twelve rounds with Floyd Mayweather was an invaluable experience for Canelo. He soaked it up like a sponge and is undoubtedly 2021’s equivalent.
Canelo has shaped his path on becoming his boss, negotiating fights on his terms, and using the Mayweather model without the need for Pay Per View.
Mayweather’s right-hand man Leonard Ellerbe now believes it’s time for Canelo to switch his attention to the paid platform as an undisputed battle with Al Haymon’s super-middleweight ruler Caleb Planet looms.
Haymon will be heavily involved in negotiations. The first thing on the agenda will be staging the fight on FOX or Showtime PPV.
Should Canelo vs. Plant go down that route, it may be a tough decision to reverse despite close ties built with Eddie Hearn and DAZN.
Becoming the Mayweather of today wasn’t an easy ride for Canelo. Arguably he lost to Erislandy Lara and Gennadiy Golovkin on at least one occasion.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER LIKENESS
But those experiences are just another example of how Canelo and Floyd Mayweather are so alike.
Fans told Mayweather throughout his tenure that he lost to Jose Luis Castillo, with some stating the Oscar De La Hoya victory was a questionable split decision.
When you’re at the top, you are there to be a target. Canelo already knows this and has brushed it off with the same enthusiasm as his old enemy.
He’s the number one name around and undeniably the world’s best fighter by a long stretch. Not even the most staunch of detractors can Canelo any longer.
