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On Saturday, September 14 live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, Saul “El Canelo” Alvarez (42-1-1, 30 KOs) suffered his first defeat at the hands of Floyd “Money” Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs).
In a fight that was exciting and full of technique, we learned a few things about Mayweather, but more about Alvarez.
Mayweather Deserves Respect
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After years of criticism over having “boring” fights or carefully picking opponents, it is time for some of Floyd Mayweather’s biggest critics to give him the respect he deserves.
Although he is flashy and his prodigality might be off-putting, Mayweather is the pound-for-pound king. He is the undisputed champion in two weight divisions at the same time.
His win over Saul Alvarez shows that he is willing to risk his undefeated status. Alvarez was younger, stronger, and bigger. Despite these advantages, Mayweather managed to outclass him—not only by boxing, but by standing with toe-to-toe with Alvarez.
Mayweather did not “run” the whole fight, as many of his critics argue. He fought tactfully and prevailed, using the shoulder roll at close range. In a fight that many believed would be more competitive than his fights with Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto, Mayweather just made it look easy.
Alvarez Believed His Own Hype
It is no secret that the job of a good promoter is to nurture and protect a fighter who has the potential to become a big star. Saul Alvarez’s relationship with Golden Boy Promotions is an excellent example.
His earlier fights with Golden Boy, after moving up to Light Middleweight, were with Welterweights. Carlos Baldomir, Alfonso Gomez, and Mathew Hatton were all Welterweights before fighting Alvarez.
Golden Boy’s clout in the boxing world allowed him to win a world title at Light Middleweight by fighting opponents who were smaller and often much older than he was. His fight with Josesito Lopez, who a year before was fighting at Light Welterweight, was hardly any competition for Alvarez.
However, this all changed when Alvarez fought Austin Trout. It was his first test against a true Light Middleweight who was young, skillful, and undefeated. Alvarez proved to live up to his own hype and passed the test with flying colors, although he was unable to knock Trout out.
It is after his fight with Trout that we can say that Alvarez got ahead of himself. His ability to defend Trout’s offense easily with his head movement—in essence, his ability to outbox Trout—allowed him to believe that he could do the same to Mayweather.
Golden Boy Promotions and its ability to hype a fighter may have also contributed to this. Alvarez is a young fighter with a huge following, but his game plan in the Mayweather fight demonstrates that he is not ready to be pound-for-pound king. Believing he could outbox Mayweather was foolish.
Canelo’s Corner Needs to Improve
Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
Alvarez’s corner was able to make a world champion, they deserve much credit. However, it might be time for them to do some soul searching. Their inability to make any adjustments or to have any sound game plan not only cost Alvarez the fight, but may have lost some of his credibility.
Alvarez had the potential to make a more competitive fight than Miguel Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya, but instead tried to make it into a boxing match. With a man who is considered to be the best boxer of his era, that is a huge mistake.
Alvarez’s corner will have to adjust to fighting opponents who can also adjust. They need to be able to make a sound game plan and be able to switch it when it is not working. Trying to outbox Mayweather was a train wreck waiting to happen. They need to prepare for fighters who might be better than Alvarez in some aspects.
Do Not Try to Outbox Mayweather, Ever
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I noted in a previous article that what we can learn from past fights of Floyd Mayweather’s is what not to do. We learned from Oscar De La Hoya that an opponent must not smother his offense and must jab the whole night. We learned from Miguel Cotto that Mayweather can make adjustments and punch around a tight defense. We learned from Jose Luis Castillo that working the body early is pertinent.
What did we learn from Saul Alvarez?
One must never try to outbox Mayweather in the center of the ring. But, if you had ever watched his past fights, you would have already known that.
The Great Mexican Fighter of Tomorrow
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Al Bernstein said it best in the final rounds when he said that “Canelo may be the fighter of tomorrow, but he’s not quite yet the fighter of today.” Saul Alvarez has the potential to be a legendary fighter, but it is not his time yet.
His decision to fight Mayweather was an example of a young fighter who got too ahead of himself. Alvarez should focus on being the best in his division and perhaps moving up to Middleweight when Light Middleweight is no longer an option.
Big fights will be still available to him because he has been able to build a huge following. Alvarez is still very young and has a lot to learn. He didn’t lose to a bum—he lost to the pound-for-pound king. He walked away with barely a mark on his face because his defense is ever-improving. One hopes that he learns from this and walks away a better fighter.
