A critical look at the past week in boxing
GOOD
We can use different criteria to illustrate the magnitude of Canelo Alvarez’s accomplishments.
The Mexican star has won major titles in four divisions, which is a standard barometer of greatness. It’s not my favorite, though. Alphabet titles mean little when there are almost 100 of them. And it seems everyone is a multiple-division beltholder these days.
Alvarez became the first undisputed super middleweight champion and sixth male undisputed champ in any division in the four-belt era by stopping Caleb Plant in the 11th round Saturday in Las Vegas.
That’s a heady accomplishment given how rare it is. And in our dreams there would be only one champion in each division, as there once was. This is as close as we’re going to get to that.
“Undisputed” has its limitations, too, though. It’s based on the whims of the sanctioning bodies, who generally rank fighters in manner that benefits them the most in terms of the bottom line. Merit isn’t always the primary factor.
The best approach to appreciate the accomplishments of Alvarez is to simply consider his opponents and the fact he has beaten them consistently.
He has taken down one highly rated foe after another over the past decade, rarely opting for stay-busy or transitional fight against pushovers. That’s what Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio did on the road to greatness.
Shane Mosley, Austin Trout, Erislandy Lara, Miguel Cotto, Gennadiy Golovkin, Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev might be the best of Alvarez’s victims but the list is a lot longer than that. He has by far the best resume in boxing today.
Alvarez failed to have his hand raised only four times, a draw against long-forgotten Jorge Juarez in his fifth fight, a one-sided decision against all-time great Mayweather and a disputed draw in his first fight against Golovkin, a future Hall of Famer.
Becoming the undisputed super middleweight champion is an achievement that should be celebrated but Alvarez has been doing special things for a long time.
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BAD
There’s nothing “bad” about Alvarez’s victory over Plant but we should keep it in perspective.
Alvarez didn’t just defeat Roy Jones Jr. or Bernard Hopkins. He beat Plant, a good, athletic boxer who had little experience on an elite level and can’t punch, which made his mission almost impossible.
And there’s certainly nothing bad about Alvarez’s pursuit of history. He isn’t satisfied with mundane accomplishments. And there’s nothing mundane about becoming the first undisputed super middleweight champion.
However, we should keep that in perspective, too. We must take into account the fighters he beat to achieve that lofty goal: Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Plant, all three of whom are good, but limited fighters.
Again, I understand why Alvarez choose to fight them; He wanted to make do something that would stand out. None were much of a threat to him, though. And don’t we want the best fighters to face genuine threats as much as possible?
I would rather Alvarez have faced Gennadiy Golovkin a third time, David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo instead. He wouldn’t have become “undisputed” but he would’ve faced more-significant challenges, which is more important to me.
We must appreciate Alvarez’s general approach to selecting opponents. He has faced one ranked foe after another over the past decade. At the same time, his emphasis on collecting titles – which mean less than ever – has its drawbacks.
The good news is that he could still fight Benavidez and Charlo. Golovkin? Not likely.
***
WORSE
Plant has nothing to be ashamed of. He gave a solid performance against one of the best in the business.
The athletic Tennessean frustrated Alvarez in the first half of the fight with his elite level boxing ability, particularly his elusiveness. The winner was still trying to chase him down in the middle rounds.
Alas, Alvarez’s relentless pressure – including damaging body work — gradually broke down Plant and set up the dramatic knockout in the 11th round, a devastating fate for a proud fighter who had such big expectations.
And it wasn’t close on the cards through 10 rounds. Alvarez led 98-92 (eight rounds to two), 97-93 and 96-94. Boxing Junkie had it 98-92 for Alvarez.
A key problem for Plant was his lack of punching power. If you can’t keep Alvarez honest with hard shots (a la Gennadiy Golovkin), you have to be a boxing wizard (a la Floyd Mayweather) to beat him.
Plant is a good boxer but he’s not that good, which is why he was about an 8-1 underdog (average of multiple outlets) going into the fight.
This undoubtedly is a difficult time for Plant, who had never tasted defeat as a professional and genuinely believed he’d have his hand raised. However, the setback isn’t the end of the world for him.
Again, he lost to a truly great fighter. No shame in that. He arguably performed better than super middleweight counterparts Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders, which confirmed that he belonged in the ring with Alvarez.
And he isn’t the type to give up. He has overcome some personal tragedies, which tells you something about his mental toughness. He’ll bounce back from Saturday’s setback, too.
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RABBIT PUNCHES
Rey Vargas (35-0, 22 KOs) had been away for more than two years before he fought Leonardo Baez (21-5, 12 KOs) on the Alvarez-Plant card. I had forgotten how good he is. The former 122-pound titleholder used his unusual length and ability to pick apart his fellow Mexican and win a near-shutout decision in his first fight as a full-fledged 126-pounder. Vargas is ranked No. 1 by the WBC, whose champion is Gary Russel Jr. I’d pick Russel to win that fight but Vargas would be a live underdog. He’s really good. … Anthony Dirrell (34-3-2, 26 KOs) delivered the punch of the night at the MGM Grand, a monstrous right uppercut that instantaneously destroyed Marcos Hernandez (15-5-2, 3 KOs) in the third round of their super middleweight fight. I don’t know whether the 37-year-old former two-time titleholder will get a shot at one more major belt but he made a strong case that he’s a viable option. … Junior welterweight contender Elvis Rodriguez (12-1-1, 11 KOs) bounced back from his upset loss to Kenneth Sims Jr. in May, stopping capable Juan Pablo Romero (14-1, 9 KOs) in five rounds on the Alvarez-Plant card.
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