Can somebody beat Canelo Álvarez?
He doesn’t suppose so. “No one can beat this Canelo,” Álvarez mentioned mins after a lopsided resolution win over Jermell Charlo. This Canelo is a wholesome Canelo, person who’s rested (after preventing 4 occasions in 11 months en path to amassing all 4 tremendous middleweight belts, Álvarez is again to a twice-per-year time table) and wholesome, together with his surgically repaired hand at complete energy. This Canelo, at 33, believes he’s nonetheless on the best of his recreation.
He is also proper. Whilst Álvarez isn’t the predator he used to be between 2018 and 2021, he’s nonetheless dominant. Towards Charlo, Álvarez flexed all his nonetheless substantial talents. Pace, energy, strong protection. That he didn’t ranking a knockout had extra to do with Charlo’s unwillingness to have interaction than what Canelo introduced into the hoop.
Who beats him? Nobody at 154-pounds; Álvarez simply toyed with the highest canine there. The middleweight department is the weakest it’s been in years. David Benavidez has gained over many at 168 however let’s see if Benavidez throws as many punches towards Álvarez as he has towards a few of his lighter hitting fighters.
And Terence Crawford? A Canelo-Crawford battle can be an enchanting take a look at of talents. However whilst Crawford, like Charlo, can stand up to 168 kilos, he, like Charlo, would most likely battle to fill out the body. And Álvarez has arguably the most productive chin in boxing.
Álvarez is now not the unquestioned pound-for-pound No. 1, however after defeating Charlo it’s transparent his position atop the center weight categories is safe. This Canelo nonetheless has so much left.
Directly to Sports activities Illustrated’s newest pound-for-pound scores.
1. Terence Crawford
Document: 40–0
Remaining Month: 1
Remaining Battle: TKO win Errol Spence Jr.
Subsequent Battle: TBD
Crawford’s expected showdown with Errol Spence Jr. in July proved anticlimactic, with Crawford battering Spence over eight-plus rounds, losing the unified champion thrice earlier than the referee waved it off. Crawford has knocked out each opponent he has confronted since shifting as much as 147-pounds—8 in general—and at 35 established himself because the unquestioned welterweight king. Spence activated a direct rematch clause, however Crawford’s skill to keep an eye on the burden—Spence is not likely to run it again at 147—makes the way forward for that battle murky. Crawford prefers to transport up—means up—to tremendous middleweight to problem Álvarez.
2. Naoya Inoue
Document: 25–0
Remaining Month: 2
Remaining Battle: TKO win vs. Stephen Fulton
Subsequent Battle: TBD
Inoue made his debut at 122-pounds in taste, knocking out the No. 1 fighter within the department and claiming two belts within the procedure. Inoue bullied the larger Fulton from the hole bell, slashing him with laborious jabs to the top and frame whilst rocking Fulton with blistering mixtures. Through the second one spherical the one query used to be if Fulton would see the general bell. Marlon Tapales, tremendous bantamweight’s different 122-pound titleholder, climbed into the hoop for a photo-op after the battle. An Inoue-Tapales matchup is tentatively ticketed for December, which might give Inoue an opportunity to check Crawford as an undisputed titleholder in a 2nd weight elegance.
3. Oleksandr Usyk
Document: 20–0
Remaining Month: 3
Remaining Battle: TKO win vs. Daniel Dubois.
Subsequent Battle: TBD vs. Tyson Fury
Handiest Álvarez can declare a greater resume than Usyk, whose accomplishments contains wins over Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis and Tony Bellew at cruiserweight and 2 wins over Anthony Joshua at heavyweight. In August, Usyk stopped Daniel Dubois within the 9th spherical to retain his 3 variations of the heavyweight name. Quickly, he’ll get an opportunity so as to add a fourth, with a unification battle with Tyson Fury formally signed for later this yr or early 2024.
4. Saul “Canelo” Álvarez
Document: 60-2-2
Remaining Month: 4
Remaining Battle: UD win Jermell Charlo
Subsequent Battle: TBD
Towards Charlo, Álvarez silenced the skeptics who urged the Mexican celebrity has misplaced a step. Álvarez now not overwhelms fighters with aggregate punching and his protection has developed to be extra about parrying than slipping photographs, however he stays a power within the heart weight divisions. Álvarez would seem to have 3 choices for his subsequent battle: Jermall Charlo, the middleweight champion and brother of Jermell; Benavidez, the previous two-time tremendous middleweight champion considered as Álvarez’s hardest 168-pound take a look at; and Crawford, the undisputed welterweight champion who’s clamoring for the battle.
5. Tyson Fury
Document: 32-0-1
Remaining Month: 5
Remaining Battle: KO win Derek Chisora
Subsequent Battle: 10/28 vs. Francis Ngannou
A December matchup towards British rival Chisora went as anticipated, with Fury battering Chisora for the simpler a part of 10 rounds earlier than the referee mercifully stopped the battle. Fury, 35, is definitely the category of the heavyweight department, with a deep resume that features a win over Wladimir Klitschko and two over Deontay Wilder. In October, Fury will face ex-UFC celebrity Francis Ngannou in a non-title battle earlier than shifting directly to the massive one: Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
6. Dmitry Bivol
Document: 21–0
Remaining Month: 6
Remaining Battle: UD win Gilberto Ramírez
Subsequent Battle: TBD
Bivol locked up the 2022 Fighter of the Yr with an excellent efficiency towards the undefeated Ramírez closing November. After outmuscling the smaller Álvarez months previous, Bivol did the similar to Ramírez, a bodily larger fighter, backing Ramírez up with the jab and battering him with mixtures. Talks of a rematch with Canelo in the end fizzled, leaving Bivol with out a transparent choice. There were discussions about Bivol returning in a stay-busy battle in December, however 2023 will move down as a misplaced yr for the 175-pound champion.
7. Devin Haney
Document: 30–0
Remaining Month: 7
Remaining Battle: UD win vs Vasyl Lomachenko.
Subsequent Battle: 12/9 vs. Regis Prograis
Haney, 24, continues to construct an excellent resume, following up back-to-back wins over George Kambosos with a slim resolution win over Vasyl Lomachenko. He’ll proceed to construct that resume in his subsequent battle: Haney is in set to stand 140-pound titleholder Regis Prograis. It might give Haney a chance to win a name in a 2nd weight elegance—and beat arguably the highest guy within the department to do it.
8. Shakur Stevenson
Document: 20–0
Remaining Month: 8
Remaining Battle: TKO win vs. Shuichiro Yoshino
Subsequent Battle: 11/16 vs. Edwin De Los Santos
Stevenson, 26, started his adventure to change into a three-division global champion by way of dominating the unbeaten Shuichiro Yoshino in his 135-pound debut. Whilst Stevenson’s protection remains to be close to impregnable, he has proven a willingness to stick within the pocket. He landed 50% of his punches towards Yoshino, according to CompuBox, together with 104 energy photographs. Negotiations for a battle towards Frank Martin publicly fell aside. As an alternative, Stevenson will face Edwin De Los Santos for a vacant name in November.
9. Gervonta Davis
Document: 29–0
Remaining Month: 9
Remaining Battle: KO win vs. Ryan Garcia
Subsequent Battle: TBD
For years, Davis, 28, has been one in every of boxing’s greatest attracts. A win over Garcia has firmly established him as one in every of boxing’s best skills. Going through the heavy-handed Garcia, Davis used to be dominant. He dropped Garcia with a counter left in the second one spherical and completed him with a frame shot within the 7th. He showcased protection, talents and endurance whilst reaffirming his standing as some of the sports activities best finishers. Davis introduced lately he’ll no longer battle once more in 2023.
10. Artur Beterbiev
Document: 19–0
Remaining Month: NR
Remaining Battle: TKO win vs. Anthony Yarde
Subsequent Battle: 1/13 vs. Callum Smith
Beterbiev is strolling violence, the one global champion who has gained each battle by way of knockout. He delivered as savage beating of the sturdy Joe Smith to assemble a 3rd piece of the 175-pound name in 2022 and defended it in a battering of Yarde closing January. A unification battle towards Bivol stays elusive—cash stays the principle impediment—so Beterbiev will protect his titles in January towards Smith, who has a couple of knockout wins since shifting as much as mild heavyweight in 2021.