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Canelo Alvarez is the current pound-for-pound king of boxing. No other fighter in the sport can compete with the Mexican superstar's accolades and fame. The 31-year-old has accomplished so much in the sport and does not appear to be slowing down.
After capturing world titles in four weight classes, Alvarez could now have his sights on a fifth. From turning professional at a mere 15 years old, to battling the greatest fighters of his generation, the Mexican sensation has solidified a legacy that cannot soon be forgotten.
Possessing fast hands, brutal body-punching ability, excellent ring IQ, and an iron will, Alvarez remains a nightmare opponent for any elite fighter prowling around one of his preferred weightclasses.
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With so many spectacular wins to choose from and so many amazing victories racked up on his stellar resume, this list will try and hone in on 5 of Canelo Alvarez's greatest victories.
#5. Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara
In 2014, Canelo Alvarez was looking to move forward after suffering his first professional defeat at the hands of Floyd 'Money' Mayweather.
Coming off an emphatic victory against brawler and countryman Alfredo Angulo, Canelo Alvarez was promptly challenged by Cuban technician Erislandy Lara.
Lara was one of the most avoided fighters in boxing. A southpaw who wielded a 75 inch reach and liked to dance around the ring, fighters weren't exactly lining up to challenge the Cuban boxer.
It came as a shock when the young Mexican star accepted Lara's challenge. Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo's promoter at the time, showed immense apprehension towards the bout. Alvarez, behind Mayweather and Pacquiao, was the biggest star in boxing. What was the upside to fighting an unknown technician with freakish skills?
Canelo was not deterred. He entered the ring against Lara on July 12th, 2014, with great confidence.
The fight didn't start well for the young Mexican sensation. Lara was fast and accurate, using quick footwork to avoid prolonged exchanges and sharp straight punches to tag and frustrate Alvarez.
From the onset, it appeared, like in the Mayweather bout, that Canelo had once again encountered a faster and superior boxer. However, as the fight progressed, the young Mexican star shifted gears. Instead of head hunting, he began targeting Lara's body in order to slow the Cuban down.
The change in gameplan paid off as Canelo started to find success downstairs and an uppercut in the seventh round saw a cut open up around Lara's right eye. Mixing it up with body attacks, power punches, and constant forward pressure, Canelo Alvarez was able to make his own statement in the fight.
The bout went the distance and ended with a split-decision victory for the young Mexican fighter. Lara and his team roared their disapproval and the fight's outcome is still debated to this day.
In the end, simply by taking the fight against the highly avoided Cuban southpaw, Canelo proved he feared no man.
#4. Canelo Alvarez vs. Daniel Jacobs
In one of his craftiest performances, Canelo Alvarez defeated Danny Jacobs on May 4th, 2019.
Jacobs was on a serious win streak, having beaten three undefeated opponents prior to stepping into the ring with the Mexican superstar. The last loss of his career came at the hands of middleweight goliath Gennady Golovkin back in 2017.
Jacobs entered the ring against Alvarez as the IBF middleweight champion and was determined to add the Mexican's own belts, the WBC and WBA (Super) middleweight titles, to his championship repertoire.
The fight may not have been an ultra exciting slugfest but it was a bout that helped showcase Canelo's overall terrific boxing pedigree. Despite being the taller man and possessing a longer reach, Jacobs struggled to find his mark. Alvarez was able to dodge many of the American's punches with extraordinary upper body movement, much to the delight of the Las Vegas crowd.
Utilizing hard jabs, steady pressure, fast counters, and wicked body-punching, Canelo was able to fight a technically sound fight while keeping Jacobs on the backfoot.
Although he had his moments, especially in the second half of the fight, Jacobs simply struggled to overcome the Mexican champion's timing, accuracy, and defensive responsibility. In the end, the Vegas judges scored the fight a close but unanimous decision for Canelo Alvarez.
#3. Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith
Canelo Alvarez produced one of the most dominant victories of his career on December 19th, 2020.
The Mexican pugilist went up against Liverpool's Callum Smith in what was supposed to be a tough bout. The Englishman was the bigger fighter with a height and reach advantage. He also possessed serious power and entered the ring with an undefeated record (27-0). How was Canelo going to overcome such a foe?
Quite easily, as it turned out.
Rarely taking a backwards step, Canelo stalked and bullied Smith around the ring all night long in front of a sold-out Alamodome crowd.
Smith attempted to keep his shorter opponent at bay with weak jabs. Meanwhile, Canelo spent the entire fight throwing hard hooks and sharp rights. Finding his back against the ropes often, Smith was forced to shell up and eat devastating combinations from boxing's pound-for-pound king.
Whenever Smith's high guard defense proved too tough to crack, Canelo was content with simply blasting his British opponent on the arms and shoulders.
The fight was a shutout and ended with a clear unanimous decision win for Alvarez. The victory helped establish the Mexican sensation as a dominant force in the super-middleweight division and earned him the WBA (Super) and WBC world titles.
Interestingly enough, Canelo also defeated Callum Smith's brother, Liam, back in 2016.
#2. Canelo Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto
Canelo Alvarez vs. Miguel Cotto was a battle of generations. The bout was a classic Mexico vs. Puerto Rico matchup and was one of the biggest fights of 2015, second only to Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.
Both fighters were on winning streaks. Cotto was experiencing a career resurgence under the tutelage of Freddie Roach and was the reigning WBC middleweight champion. Meanwhile, Canelo was coming off an emphatic knockout over James Kirkland.
On November 21, 2015, Canelo Alvarez entered the fight as the bigger man. However, the Mexican superstar didn't simply rely on his size and strength to defeat his veteran opponent. Employing slick upper body movement, crafty feints, fast counters, and steady forward pressure, Canelo was able to keep the Puerto Rican legend on the backfoot for the majority of the fight.
Cotto, famous for his left hooks to the body, was able to find some success with his signature punch. However, Canelo was always quick to respond with his own brutal body attacks.
The fight went the distance and the judges scored it unanimously for Canelo. The bout helped showcase Canelo's growth as a fighter. He wasn't a simple power puncher who needed to engage in a slugfest in order to win, he was a boxer with a wide array of techniques and an arsenal of weapons at his disposal.
#1. Canelo Alvarez vs. Gennady Golovkin II
On September 15 2018, Canelo Alvarez defeated Gennady Golovkin in their high-profile rematch.
Although the majority-decision victory was highly controversial, with many still adamant that Golovkin was robbed, it's impossible to deny Canelo completely shocked the boxing world in the rematch.
The two fighters had battled to a draw a year prior. Canelo had been heavily criticized for fighting primarily on the backfoot in the first fight and many claimed he feared the Kazakh champion's punching power.
In the second fight, the Mexican superstar fought a completely different fight, determined to shut down such talk. From the opening bell, he marched forward and launched vicious combinations, making sure this time around it was Golovkin who was on the backfoot. The rematch saw a complete reversal of roles from the first fight.
However, even while moving backwards, 'Triple G' was not easily discouraged. He consistently landed stiff jabs throughout the fight and managed to display his devastating punching power by landing his signature right cross to seriously stun Canelo.
To this day, no other opponent has been able to hurt the Mexican superstar the way Golovkin did on September 15th, 2018. Canelo was forced to eat the Kazakh champion's best punches and was forced to endure a terrible cut over his left eye. Towards the end of the fight, despite landing his own brutal power shots, Canelo was bluntly told by his corner that he would not be able to knock Golovkin out.
The bout was a middleweight classic. Both men displayed their incredible skills in a highly technical and highly entertaining clash. Both fighters brought out the best from one another. With a gritty and aggressive performance, Canelo Alvarez proved his warrior spirit and fighting prowess by going toe-to-toe with one of boxing's greatest boogeymen.
