Well that certainly did not go according to plan.
Alberto Machado (21-1, 17 KOs) was expected to make a statement against Andrew Cancio (20-4-2, 15 KOs). There was not much expected out of Cancio and for good reason. Every time he stepped up his level of opposition he lost. The only opponent of note that he matched up against was Joseph Diaz Jr. Cancio was dominated and stopped in Round 9 of that contest.
Machado vs. Cancio started off according to script with Machado flooring his opponent in the first round and had him badly hurt. Everything went downhill after that. Cancio brought the fight to Machado and floored him three times en-route to a fourth-round stoppage victory.
It was a jaw-dropping result. Although Machado was dominated, all is not lost. He is, after all, only 28 years old. One bad night at the office shouldn’t spell the end for him. There are plenty of notable fights he can take and win. Let’s take a look at what he should do next.
Miguel Roman
Before Miguel Roman (60-13, 47 KOs) lost to WBC champion Miguel Berchelt, he was on a roll. Winning four matches all via stoppage. Even with his defeat to Berchelt, he gave the champion all he could handle. Both Alberto Machado and Roman want to throw their respective hats in to the mix for a title shot.
It makes sense for these two fighters to be matched up at this point.
Sure, it would be ideal for Machado to face a bit of a softer touch in his comeback fight, but if he wants to challenge for another world title as soon as possible then he needs to take on a fighter with the pedigree of Roman.
Rene Alvarado
After reeling off six-straight wins, Rene Alvarado (30-8, 20 KOs) needs a signature victory to put him over the top for a title shot. A win over former champ Alberto Machado can do just that for him.
That win won’t come easy as the champ has plenty to prove as he works his way back up the ladder.
A win over Alvarado won’t exactly place him in position for another title shot, but it will certainly put him in the hunt for it.
Gervonta Davis
After watching the performance of the “other” WBA titleholder, Gervonta Davis (21-0, 20 KOs) against Hugo Ruiz, it would seem suicidal to match up Alberto Machado with him for his first fight back.
It’s not as crazy as it seems. Davis is a hard hitter and possesses very underrated boxing skills, but Machado has a few advantages. Standing at 5’10”, Machado would have a huge height advantage over the 5’5″ Davis. Machado would also have a five-inch reach advantage as well.
If Machado can avoid one of Davis’ bombs, which is much easier said than done, then he would stand a chance at causing a major upset him.
