Erislandy Lara believes that he defeated Canelo Alvarez eight years ago, and he says others do as well.
Following his defeat to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, the Mexican superstar was looking to continue the momentum that he had prior to his loss to 'Money'. After a win over Alfredo Angulo, Alvarez matched up with Lara in a massive 2014 pay-per-view outing.
The two had an intense fight that went the full twelve rounds. Alvarez spent the majority of the bout trying to get inside and land bombs, while Lara found a home for his jab and avoided most of the big shots. At the end of the contest, the Mexican picked up the win by split-decision.
The result was very controversial, as many believed that Lara deserved the win. The fighter himself still believes he deserved the victory eight years later, as he discussed the bout in an interview with Jorge Ebro. Lara stated that many fans in attendance told him that he won.
Reflecting on the result, Lara said:
“You know that [fight I had with Canelo] in Las Vegas, there were many Mexicans there. Many of them know who I am and tell me that I beat Canelo, that they 100% stole it from me. But we must move forward. It has already been seven years. Let's see if good things will come."
See Lara's interview below:
Erislandy Lara is set to face Gary O'Sullivan this weekend
Erislandy Lara continues to prove that age is just a number. At 39 years old, he's set to make the walk this weekend to defend his WBA (Regular) Middleweight Title.
Lara will look to defend his title for the first time, as he captured the championship last year when he knocked out Thomas LaManna.
He's now set to fight the tough Gary O'Sullivan on Saturday. 'The Celtic Warrior's' last fight was a standard unanimous decision victory over Nodar Robakidze in May 2021. The 37-year-old has shared the ring with notable names Jaime Munguia, Chris Eubank Jr., Billy Joe Saunders, and more.
As of now, Lara is a big favorite over his Irish foe. If things go according to plan, the veteran will add another title defense to his record on Saturday night.