One man's opinion: Is Canelo Alvarez a great fighter?

I believe the word "great" has become much too common.

To me, greatness must be earned, not given, displayed not designated, and to a certain degree, seemingly obvious to most.

Yet, an athlete’s greatness, though obvious to many, can be debated.

Take boxing, for example. Many believe Canelo Alvarez has hit the greatness plateau.

But has he?

Let’s consider what makes someone "great" in other sports.

Willie Mays was a flat-out great baseball player. He could do it all.

Mays could run, hit for power and average, and play fabulous defense. Just phenomenal.

Hank Aaron, though not as versatile as Mays, and Mickey Mantle, hampered by injuries, are right there as well. Babe Ruth, a former pitcher, was great.

In football, Walter Payton and Joe Montana were great. Payton was quick and strong. Not super-fast, but it didn’t matter. Montana was as cool as the other side of the pillow. He played quarterback like a surgeon -picking apart defenses with ease. A joy, or heartbreak, to watch. Tom Brady is there as well.

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird are the greatest basketball players I’ve ever seen. Jordan’s skill was breathtaking, Johnson leadership unsurpassed, and Bird’s passing and clutch shooting extraordinary.

On to boxing.

Henry Armstrong, Joe Louis, and Sugar Ray Robinson were great. No debate there, as far as I’m concerned.

Muhammad Ali was a great fighter. He never backed away from a challenge, came back from over three years of inactivity to defeat the number one heavyweight challenger, stop an extremely tough Oscar Bonavena, and lose a brutal 15-round decision to Joe Frazier. Yes, he lost, but that only cemented his greatness. He came again to slay the monstrous George Foreman in 1974. When Ali fought the world stopped.

Cases could be made for Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Saul Alvarez.

He’s the number one guy in boxing right now. Hell, most boxing fans know him simply by his nickname, “Canelo.” That says something about his popularity and - how polarizing a figure he is.

Last Saturday night I watched Canelo dismantle a pretty good fighter in Billy Joe Saunders. Saunders came into the fight cocky and undefeated. He left with his first loss, and a caved-in face, courtesy of a wicked Canelo uppercut. Even though Saunders landed a few shots, which excited the DAZN announcers, and was somewhat competitive, I never for a moment believed he’d win. As I wrote, I waited. For what you may ask?

For Canelo to land a devasting shot. Which he did.

Canelo has lost once in 59 fights. He’s been fighting since he was 15. I first heard of him 12 years ago. Caught his fight against Jose Miguel Cotto in 2010. He was buzzed in that bout, but stopped Cotto. He knocked out the limited, but tough, Carlos Manuel Baldomir and within months picked up his first title by battering Matthew Hilton. He beat past-their-primes Kermit Cintron and Shane Mosley, and the much smaller Josesito Lopez. He edged Austin Trout, and then lost by wide decision to Floyd Mayweather. Canelo learned a lot in that fight. So did future opponents. Movers cause him trouble. He was fortunate to be judged the winner over Erislandy Lara.

In 2017 and 2018, he threw hands with then-undefeated, and still feared, Gennadiy Golovkin. I thought Canelo lost the first fight and maybe won the rematch. Before

the sequel, Golovkin’s team badgered him to fight “Mexican style.”

Alvarez is a born counterpuncher, but he can rumble when he wants to. He wanted to against Golovkin, and more than held his own. His blood boiled after Golovkin called him a cheat after Canelo tested positive for Clenbuterol. I wrote an article soon after calling Canelo a diva. But he was only suspended for six months, so the rematch went down one year later. Money is always the boss.

And there’s the rub. Getting busted for steroids is something that Canelo, at least for some, will never live down. Doesn’t matter that he enrolled in VADA (Voluntary Anti-Doping Association) because they’ll say, “It’s likely fixed in his favor.” Or that “Everyone in boxing is juicing.”

I don’t like either of those responses. Perhaps I’m naïve or not cynical enough for some.

Canelo has fought a half dozen times since the second Golovkin fight. He defeated former champions, Daniel Jacobs and Callum Smith, knocked out overmatched Rocky Fielding and Avni Yildirim, and did the same to former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.

I think the most impressive aspect of Canelo’s rise is his improvement over the years. He does everything so much better now. Canelo punches with power, has fast hands and a very good defense. So much so that he often overwhelms opponents. That alone takes talent.

Is Canelo a great fighter?

No, but he’s in the neighborhood.