5 ONE Championship fighters who could box Canelo Alvarez

#2. Nieky Holzken

Nieky Holzken versus Alvarez would have the whole world watching. Both men are arguably the finest athletes in their disciplines, and they both have huge followings and love to box.

The 38-year-old’s first martial arts skill is boxing, but Holzken only turned professional in the ‘sweet science’ in 2013. From then until 2018, the Dutchman competed 15 times, with his only defeat coming against Callum Smith. The Mexican icon also defeated Smith in December 2020 to claim the WBA, The Ring, and vacant WBC Super-Middleweight titles.

Holzken, known as ‘The Natural’, could certainly box with Alvarez if he is focused and manages to execute his fight plan to perfection. The Team Holzken star has a height and reach advantage over the Mexican. However, unlike the other tall and long opponents, Alvarez has faced, the Dutchman is smart when using his reach and shoots long straight lefts at the end of his jab.

‘The Natural’ closes gaps quickly, and arguably has the best footwork of the ONE stars on this list. He is crafty at creating angles and possesses a variety of combinations to the body and the head. In the world of kickboxing, there aren't many who can hold a candle to his boxing abilities.

Holzken has never faced an athlete like Alvarez. That lack of experience was clear in his clash against Smith, and it would likely be a similar time out for the Dutchman against a fighter of Alvarez’s caliber. However, if he made the necessary adjustments, fans should expect an interesting fight between the pair.

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#1. Giorgio Petrosyan

There are three defensive pillars in boxing – you can evade it by either dodging it or intercepting it with your technique, you can block a strike, or you can deflect a strike.

Giorgio Petrosyan is a master of all of these. The Italian-Armenian’s defensive tactics are unique and make him one of kickboxing’s all-time greats. He has never boxed in his career, but you could expect the Milan-based star to be a decent opponent for the Mexican.

‘The Doctor’ comes forward and unloads, and as a southpaw, he often targets his rival’s midsection before going upstairs, and stepping out. He also displays his defensive skills every time he comes forward, teasing opponents to engage with him.

However, those who have fallen victim to it will tell you that it's hard to hold back your attacks when he teases an opponent with his strikes. Simply because when Petrosyan is on full-on defensive mode, there is zero to no chance of anyone troubling him.

The man from Milan has a quick lead hook that he sets up in many ways, and he always follows it up with additional strikes.

Alvarez’s traits and strengths would certainly match up to Petrosyan. In a perfect world, where weight would not be a concern, this is one fight that every fan would want to watch.