BOXING
Could this be Canelo Álvarez’s last fight if he loses?
The Mexican great will face Jarmell Charlo next weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada, as he signed up for the first of three fights for the PBC promotion company.
Saúl Álvarez is back. The Mexican boxer will go into the ring for the first time since last May when he defeated John Ryder in his native Guadalajara on Saturday. It was a memorable fight for him, as it would be his first time competing in Mexico in 11 years.
Álvarez has fought 63 times so far, winning 59 fights and losing two to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Dmitry Bivol. He also has two draws against Golovkin and Jorge Juárez.
Will Canelo retire if he loses to Ryder?
Canelo is expected to easily handle Charlo when they meet at the Akron Stadium. The American is considered a tough fighter, but most boxing experts and fans see the Mexican beating his opponent in T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
However, although he swept Ryder at 175 lbs. in May, some voices have suggested that Álvarez is on a slow decline despite being only 32.
A loss to Charlor would be considered, without a doubt, one of the biggest upsets in boxing’s recent times and would probably mean a career-ending for many boxers.
However, even if that scenario happened and Charlo got his hand raised, it’s unlikely that Canelo decided to hang up the gloves.
As mentioned, he’s still young and has plenty in the gas tank to keep competing. Moreover, he’s also known for his resilience and fighting spirit, which wouldn’t allow him to leave the sport with such a defeat. On top of that, he has the PBC contract for three obligatory fights up on him.
A defeat would complicate things a lot for Canelo, as he would lose all his belts and likely face lots of criticism. He should earn his way back to the big fights against Bivol or David Benavidez, which may be more complicated than expected, considering he has never been used to dealing with such a situation.