Canelo Alvarez had a year for the ages.
Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) cemented himself as boxing's pound-for-pound king, plowing through Callum Smith, Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant to become the first Mexican-born fighter and first pugilist ever to become a four-belt super middleweight champion.
Still, there's critics of DAZN Boxing's top male fighter because he's likely to move up to cruiserweight in his next bout and challenge WBC titlist Ilunga Junior Makabu. Instead, people would like the 31-year-old to face former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez and current WBC middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo. To Alvarez, it's nothing but bitterness.
“Look, what I see and what I know is I beat the No.1 fighter at 168 (pounds). It was Callum Smith,” Alvarez told World Boxing News. “Next, Billy Joe Saunders, second. Next, the third one (Plant). So, I beat all the best at 168. They were all undefeated. I beat all the best at 168, and now there’s people saying you need to fight this one — like always."
Days before Alvarez dispatched Plant and prior to the seventh-round stoppage of Kyrone Davis, Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) told DAZN News he is the guy to dethrone the Mexican star. However, Benavidez would have already had the chance if he didn't come in overweight before his scheduled title defense against Roamer Angulo in August 2020.
On the other hand, Charlo's (32-0, 22 KOs) never competed at 168 pounds but continues to express serious interest in taking on Alvarez.
“This always happens,” Alvarez said of the critics. “But I beat the best champion at 168. Then they say, ‘he’s scared of him’ or ‘he’s scared of that guy.’ I am not scared about anything. I don’t avoid anybody.
“But what does that guy (Benavidez) bring to me? Nothing. Nothing. Mention a champion they (Benavidez and Charlo) fight before. How many? I really don’t care. Haters are always going to be haters.”