Who should Canelo Alvarez fight next?
The Mexican proved he’s still the best in the super middleweight division after defeating Munguia, but who could be his next opponent?
Oscar de la Hoya predicted a “changing of the guard” in the super middleweight division and Mexican boxing, but Saul Alvarez proved him wrong.
Canelo handled Jaime Munguia’s first professional loss after the judges’ cards reflected an easy win for the Guadalajara native.
Alvarez’s experience and boxing IQ proved too much for the younger Munguia, who was floored once in the fourth round but made it to the final bell in a good performance in the most difficult fight of his career.
Munguia started the fight in style, landing some good combinations and moving around the ring to avoid Canelo’s aggression, but everything changed when Eddy Reynoso’s boxer connected a big uppercut that sent him to the canvas. As he admitted in the post-fight conference, instead of sticking to his game plan of using his reach advantage and footwork to keep Alvarez at bay, Munguia tried to get those points back quickly by being more aggressive, falling into Canelo’s trap.
Canelo will likely be back in action in September, as he usually does after fighting on the Cinco de Mayo weekend. But who will he fight next?
David Benavidez: the fight everyone wants to see
David Benavidez is the opponent everyone wants to see take on Canelo. The Mexican Monster is undefeated and has looked unstoppable in his last fights. His relentless pressure, aggression, and combinations are dangerous weapons for anyone. He’s also the bigger man and has good stamina, so he could go 12 rounds without running out of gas.
However, this is probably the most difficult fight to make. Since he seems to be the biggest threat to Canelo’s undisputed dominance at super middleweight, the Mexican would only accept a showdown with Benavidez “if the money is right”, which means that he wouldn’t accept less than $200 million to make it happen.
Dmitry Bivol: unlikely and only at light heavyweight
If fans could choose another fight outside the Benavidez option, they would probably go with another clash with Dmitry Bivol. The undefeated Russian handed Canelo’s second-career loss by outpointing him in 2022.
The WBA lightweight champion asked for another fight with Canelo at 168 lbs for the Mexican’s four belts, but Alvarez declined, saying he was only interested in a rematch at 175. If they ever faced each other again, would also be at light heavyweight, as Canelo wouldn’t put all his belts on the line in such a dangerous fight.
Artur Beterbiev: an explosive fight in the future?
Besides the name of Dmitry Bivol at light heavyweight, many insiders have been talking about the possibility of seeing the Mexican go head-to-head with one of the most feared names in boxing, Artur Beterbiev.
The Russian is a unified light heavyweight champion and possesses one of the deadliest punches in the sport, with a perfect record of 20 fights and 20 wins, all by knockout.
Beterbiev and Bivol will collide in June for the undisputed light heavyweight crown, so the winner of that mega clash would undoubtedly have more chances of getting a fight with Alvarez, as a fight for all the marbles at 175 lbs would probably be a very appealing option for Canelo.
Terence Crawford: would ‘Bud’ go up to 168?
Canelo is considered the face of boxing, but the pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter is Terence Crawford. The Omaha native hasn’t been defeated in his professional career and he dismantled Errol Spence in a brilliant performance in his last fight.
The three-weight class champion was the undisputed king at light welterweight and welterweight and he wants to make more history by becoming the super welterweight champion when he takes on the WBA titleholder Israil Madrimov in August.
Crawford has stated he would love to challenge himself and fight Canelo, but will his body allow him to go up in weight yet again in his quest for greatness and titles? The American is 36 and knows he doesn’t have many years left at the top level, so he could keep chasing that Alvarez super bout in the upcoming months if he beats Madrimov.
Edgar Berlanga: Canelo’s safest bet
Canelo is the cash cow of boxing. In other terms, he’s the money fight. He’s a living legend and one of the very best Mexican fighters of all time. He has accomplished many goals in his career and fought many great names and now, at 33, he can choose whoever he wants to fight next.
He has often been criticized for cherry-picking his opponents or facing big names past their primes, but Canelo doesn’t care about those opinions. Considering he may not have many more years on the top and how careful he is regarding his legacy, he might not take more risky fights from now on.
Edgar Berlanga is a young, undefeated fighter with the potential to put anyone in trouble. It has been reported he could be Canelo’s next opponent, as he’s one of the best young fighters in boxing. However, many believe it would be a smart move from the Guadalajara fighter, as he would be the clear favorite against the inexperienced Berlanga.