Tag: Canelo Alvarez

Pound-for-pound: Did Isaac Cruz do enough against Rolando Romero to crack list?

Pound-for-pound: Did Isaac Cruz do enough against Rolando Romero to crack Boxing Junkie’s list?

Isaac Cruz made a strong impression with his eighth-round knockout of Rolando Romero on Saturday in Las Vegas.

But did the new 140-pound titleholder from Mexico do enough in that fight — and does he have the resume — to climb onto Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list?

Not quite.

Everyone agrees that Cruz is evolving into a formidable fighting machine, a pressure fighter with the fitness, durability and punching power to dominate opponents.

However, we shouldn’t overreact to a one-sided victory over Romero, a good, but limited fighter. And Cruz still doesn’t have a victory over a top-tier opponent, although he gave Gervonta Davis hell in defeat in 2021.

Bottom line: Cruz has to beat a pound-for-pounder or someone of that caliber to leave no doubt that he belongs with the best in the business.

And those matchups will come soon enough if Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs) continues to win. Perhaps showdowns with the likes of fellow beltholders Devin Haney or Teofimo Lopez — or maybe even a rematch with Davis — are in his near future.

A victory over any of the above would be enough to lift Cruz to the next level. Stay tuned.

What about Sebastian Fundora?

The new 154-pound champ defeated rising star Tim Tszyu by a split decision in the main event on Saturday, an accomplishment for which Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) deserves credit.

However, we can’t draw firm conclusions because Tszyu was effectively blinded by blood in his eyes, the result of a ghastly cut on his hairline. Plus, Fundora was knocked out by Brian Mendoza in his previous fight.

Fundora’s time might come, just not now.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – Scheduled to face Jaime Munguia for the undisputed 168-pound championship on May 4 in Las Vegas.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– Reportedly near a deal to defend his 135-pound title against Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark, New Jersey.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no announcement has been made); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (reportedly near a deal to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami).

[lawrence-related id=41294,41278,41249,41227]

Canelo Alvarez pleased to face Jaime Munguia in ‘big party for Mexico’

Canelo Alvarez is pleased to face Jaime Munguia in an all-Mexican main event on May 4 in Las Vegas.

Canelo Alvarez has faced only one fellow Mexican over the past decade, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He didn’t seem to be interested in fighting his countrymen.

The undisputed 168-pound champion made the decision to take on Jaime Munguia on pay-per-view this coming May 4 but, it seems, only by default.

Still, Alvarez seemed pleased Tuesday at a Los Angeles news conference that he and his opponent will be presenting an all-Mexican main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“This fight is a great source of pride for me, because it’s all about Mexico,” Alvarez said. “I’m proud to have my country featured this way in front of the whole world. The fans are going to be the biggest winners on May 4, and we invite everyone to what’s gonna be a big party for Mexico.”

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) appeared to be set to fight 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo on Cinco de Mayo weekend. However, they couldn’t agree to terms in the end.

And the champion doesn’t seem to be interested in facing top contender David Benavidez, at least not yet. That left Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) as his best option.

Munguia, a former 154-pound beltholder, had built his record against second-tier opponents until he outpointing Sergey Derevyanchenko in June of last year and stopped John Ryder under new trainer Freddie Roach this past January.

Those break-through victories led him to the pinnacle of 168-pound division and made him a legitimate opponent for anyone, including Alvarez.

Alvarez is coming off one of his strongest performances over the past few years, a one-sided decision over the smaller Jermell Charlo in September.

“Jaime Munguia is a respectful person and a great fighter who’s earned this fight again and again,” Alvarez said. “Everyone will see how great this fight is for Mexico on May 4. Munguia is a disciplined fighter who hits hard. He’s a power puncher, and I like a challenge.

“I want to face fighters who are hungry like I am. He’s a fighter who can give the fans the show they deserve.”

Meanwhile, Munguia couldn’t be happier about being in the right place at the right time to get the fight.

Alvarez, 33, was his 27-year-old opponent’s role model as the latter was making a name for himself. Now Munguia will do battle with arguably the biggest star in the sport.

“Canelo has always been a source of pride and motivation for me,” Munguia said. “I used to say when I was coming up in the sport that I want to be like him, and now we get a chance to face him and hopefully be where he is soon.”

And he cautioned those who doubt him. He insists he’s prepared for the biggest challenge of his life.

“We’re ready for this stage,” he said. “We’re ready for everything and we’re going to have a great fight that night. We’re very confident. This is just the beginning of the best part of my career.

“I’ve done a lot in my career so far, but I believe I’m just reaching my peak now.”

[lawrence-related id=41011,40598,40595,40578,40569]

Canelo Alvarez pleased to face Jaime Munguia in ‘big party for Mexico’

Canelo Alvarez is pleased to face Jaime Munguia in an all-Mexican main event on May 4 in Las Vegas.

Canelo Alvarez has faced only one fellow Mexican over the past decade, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He didn’t seem to be interested in fighting his countrymen.

The undisputed 168-pound champion made the decision to take on Jaime Munguia on pay-per-view this coming May 4 but, it seems, only by default.

Still, Alvarez seemed pleased Tuesday at a Los Angeles news conference that he and his opponent will be presenting an all-Mexican main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“This fight is a great source of pride for me, because it’s all about Mexico,” Alvarez said. “I’m proud to have my country featured this way in front of the whole world. The fans are going to be the biggest winners on May 4, and we invite everyone to what’s gonna be a big party for Mexico.”

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) appeared to be set to fight 160-pound titleholder Jermall Charlo on Cinco de Mayo weekend. However, they couldn’t agree to terms in the end.

And the champion doesn’t seem to be interested in facing top contender David Benavidez, at least not yet. That left Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) as his best option.

Munguia, a former 154-pound beltholder, had built his record against second-tier opponents until he outpointing Sergey Derevyanchenko in June of last year and stopped John Ryder under new trainer Freddie Roach this past January.

Those break-through victories led him to the pinnacle of 168-pound division and made him a legitimate opponent for anyone, including Alvarez.

Alvarez is coming off one of his strongest performances over the past few years, a one-sided decision over the smaller Jermell Charlo in September.

“Jaime Munguia is a respectful person and a great fighter who’s earned this fight again and again,” Alvarez said. “Everyone will see how great this fight is for Mexico on May 4. Munguia is a disciplined fighter who hits hard. He’s a power puncher, and I like a challenge.

“I want to face fighters who are hungry like I am. He’s a fighter who can give the fans the show they deserve.”

Meanwhile, Munguia couldn’t be happier about being in the right place at the right time to get the fight.

Alvarez, 33, was his 27-year-old opponent’s role model as the latter was making a name for himself. Now Munguia will do battle with arguably the biggest star in the sport.

“Canelo has always been a source of pride and motivation for me,” Munguia said. “I used to say when I was coming up in the sport that I want to be like him, and now we get a chance to face him and hopefully be where he is soon.”

And he cautioned those who doubt him. He insists he’s prepared for the biggest challenge of his life.

“We’re ready for this stage,” he said. “We’re ready for everything and we’re going to have a great fight that night. We’re very confident. This is just the beginning of the best part of my career.

“I’ve done a lot in my career so far, but I believe I’m just reaching my peak now.”

[lawrence-related id=41011,40598,40595,40578,40569]

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

That’s crickets you’re hearing when it comes to the pound-for-pound scene.

None of the 20 fighter’s on Boxing Junkie’s list — Nos. 1-15 and five Honorable Mentions — is scheduled to step into the ring until April 20, when No. 10 Devin Haney will defend his 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

The action picks up in a big way at that point, however. Between April 20 and June 1 — a span of only five-plus weeks — seven pound-for-pounders are scheduled to fight.

They are No. 2 Naoya Inoue, No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk, No. 4 Dmitry Bivol, No. 9 Tyson Fury, Haney, No. 12 Artur Beterbiev and No. 14 Vasiliy Lomachenko (see below for details).

That number could grow. No. 6 Canelo Alvarez is expected to fight on May 4, although no opponent has been announced. And Honorable Mention David Benavidez is in talks to face 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June.

And who knows what other matchups involving the best of the best might emerge?

Yes, the lack of activity at the moment is disappointing. However, patience will pay dividends. The biggest stars in the sport are in the gym as you read this preparing to perform.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no deal is in place); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

Pound-for-pound: Action will pick up in a big way beginning on April 20

That’s crickets you’re hearing when it comes to the pound-for-pound scene.

None of the 20 fighter’s on Boxing Junkie’s list — Nos. 1-15 and five Honorable Mentions — is scheduled to step into the ring until April 20, when No. 10 Devin Haney will defend his 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas.

The action picks up in a big way at that point, however. Between April 20 and June 1 — a span of only five-plus weeks — seven pound-for-pounders are scheduled to fight.

They are No. 2 Naoya Inoue, No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk, No. 4 Dmitry Bivol, No. 9 Tyson Fury, Haney, No. 12 Artur Beterbiev and No. 14 Vasiliy Lomachenko (see below for details).

That number could grow. No. 6 Canelo Alvarez is expected to fight on May 4, although no opponent has been announced. And Honorable Mention David Benavidez is in talks to face 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June.

And who knows what other matchups involving the best of the best might emerge?

Yes, the lack of activity at the moment is disappointing. However, patience will pay dividends. The biggest stars in the sport are in the gym as you read this preparing to perform.

Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 10 Devin Haney is scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 on pay-per-view from Las Vegas.

Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:

BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND

  1. Terence Crawford – No fight scheduled.
  2. Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 122-pound championship against Luis Nery on May 6 in Japan.
  3. Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  4. Dmitry Bivol – Scheduled to face No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  5. Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
  6. Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
  7. Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
  8. Gervonta Davis – No fight scheduled.
  9. Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
  10. Devin Haney– Scheduled to defend his WBC 140-pound title against Ryan Garcia on April 20 in Las Vegas.
  11. Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – No fight scheduled.
  12. Artur Beterbiev – Scheduled to face No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship on June 1 in Saudi Arabia.
  13. Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
  14. Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
  15. Shakur Stevenson– No fight scheduled.

Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (has agreed to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June but no deal is in place); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (no fight scheduled); Teofimo Lopez (no fight scheduled).

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia set for May 4 in Las Vegas: reports

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia is set for May 4 in Las Vegas, according to reports.

Canelo Alvarez finally has his dance partner for May 4.

The undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico will defend his titles against unbeaten countryman Jaime Munguia on Prime Video Pay-Per-View from Las Vegas, according to reports.

And he completed the deal with Premier Boxing Champions, the company from which he had split only days ago. That could mean a potential showdown with David Benavidez, a PBC fighter, is still in play for the fall.

No formal announcement has been made. And the site hasn’t been determined.

Alvarez’s pursuit of an opponent for Cinco de Mayo weekend seemed to be interminable.

He announced cryptically on social media a few weeks ago that he would fight an “American”, which most observers took to mean 160-pound beltholder Jermall Charlo. The two had been in talks for some time.

However, Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) and Charlo couldn’t come to terms. Alvarez then left PBC after the first fight in a three-fight deal, which some reports indicated stemmed from Alvarez’s refusal to commit to a fight with Benavidez in September.

That’s when Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) became the leading candidate even though he’s not American.

Alvarez reportedly had been working with Matchroom Boxing in an attempt to nail down an opponent for May 4 – which is only two months away – but they evidently couldn’t get it done, which prompted Alvarez to return to PBC.

Munguia is a strapping 27-year-old from Tijuana, just south of the U.S. border. The former 154-pound titleholder is an improving boxer with a great deal of power, as his 34 stoppages indicate.

He’s coming off a brutal knockout of normally durable John Ryder on Jan. 27, when he put the Englishman down four times before knocking him out in the ninth round with new trainer Freddie Roach in his corner.

That followed a unanimous, but close decision over tough veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko last June, which was another significant accomplishment.

Of course, neither Ryder nor Derevyanchenko are in the class of Alvarez. That means we’ll learn exactly how good Munguia really is in this fight.

Alvarez is coming off his strongest performance in a few years, a near-shutout decision over Jermell Charlo (Jermall’s twin) last September. He had battled injuries in his previous few fights.

Meanwhile, Benavidez is expected to face Oleksandr Gvozdyk at 175 pounds in June, although no announcement has been made. Benavidez has said he will be able to come back down to 168 if necessary.

[lawrence-related id=40867,40842,40802,40773,40743,40515]

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia set for May 4 in Las Vegas: reports

Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia is set for May 4 in Las Vegas, according to reports.

Canelo Alvarez finally has his dance partner for May 4.

The undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico will defend his titles against unbeaten countryman Jaime Munguia on Prime Video Pay-Per-View from Las Vegas, according to reports.

And he completed the deal with Premier Boxing Champions, the company from which he had split only days ago. That could mean a potential showdown with David Benavidez, a PBC fighter, is still in play for the fall.

No formal announcement has been made. And the site hasn’t been determined.

Alvarez’s pursuit of an opponent for Cinco de Mayo weekend seemed to be interminable.

He announced cryptically on social media a few weeks ago that he would fight an “American”, which most observers took to mean 160-pound beltholder Jermall Charlo. The two had been in talks for some time.

However, Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) and Charlo couldn’t come to terms. Alvarez then left PBC after the first fight in a three-fight deal, which some reports indicated stemmed from Alvarez’s refusal to commit to a fight with Benavidez in September.

That’s when Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) became the leading candidate even though he’s not American.

Alvarez reportedly had been working with Matchroom Boxing in an attempt to nail down an opponent for May 4 – which is only two months away – but they evidently couldn’t get it done, which prompted Alvarez to return to PBC.

Munguia is a strapping 27-year-old from Tijuana, just south of the U.S. border. The former 154-pound titleholder is an improving boxer with a great deal of power, as his 34 stoppages indicate.

He’s coming off a brutal knockout of normally durable John Ryder on Jan. 27, when he put the Englishman down four times before knocking him out in the ninth round with new trainer Freddie Roach in his corner.

That followed a unanimous, but close decision over tough veteran Sergey Derevyanchenko last June, which was another significant accomplishment.

Of course, neither Ryder nor Derevyanchenko are in the class of Alvarez. That means we’ll learn exactly how good Munguia really is in this fight.

Alvarez is coming off his strongest performance in a few years, a near-shutout decision over Jermell Charlo (Jermall’s twin) last September. He had battled injuries in his previous few fights.

Meanwhile, Benavidez is expected to face Oleksandr Gvozdyk at 175 pounds in June, although no announcement has been made. Benavidez has said he will be able to come back down to 168 if necessary.

[lawrence-related id=40867,40842,40802,40773,40743,40515]

Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez: Far-fetched or rational in one ($) sense?

Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez: Is the potential matchup far-fetched or rational in at least one ($) sense?

Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez?

Anyone who follows boxing knows that such a matchup would be absurdly one-sided, a crude, relative newcomer against an all-time boxing great. Mismatch isn’t a strong enough word to describe that pairing.

Paul is as aware of that fact as you are. Still, the YouTuber-turned-boxer-and-promoter has repeatedly called out the Mexican star.

Is he nuts? Far from it. He’s an astute businessman who sees an opportunity to make good money, which is what Paul’s boxing career has been all about.

Oh, he has trained diligently in an effort to learn the fundamentals of the sport and seems to have been blessed with natural punching power, which has allowed him to start his career 8-1 (5 KOs) against weak opposition.

However, his principal strength is self promotion. That’s how he has been able to earn more than all but a few boxers in spite of his inexperience.

So no one should be surprised when he calls out potential opponents who are well out of his league, including the 33-year-old Alvarez.

“I think it will happen at some point,” Paul told reporters in the lead up to his fight against Ryan Bourland on the Amanda Serrano-Nina Meinke card Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico (DAZN), “I’ve been talking about that for a couple of years now.

“It makes sense. He’s coming to the end of his career where he’s gonna want to make a lot of money.”

Paul, 27, also rolled a lot of eyes when he described himself as the “new Floyd Mayweather.” That’s a stretch on more than one level. Mayweather was the best fighter of his generation and earned around $1 billion, according to some estimates.

At the same time, Paul’s comment is understandable in one sense: Like Mayweather, many boxers and other combat sports stars want to fight Paul because of the payday they would stand to earn.

Retired Hall of Famer Carl Froch is only the latest big-name boxer to express interest in facing Paul.

A reporter asked Paul whether he believes Froch would actually fight him.

“Of course he would, he wants payday, of course,” Paul said. “All these guys would fight me, I’m the new Floyd Mayweather in the sport. Seriously. Because I make my own decisions, I know how to get the business contracts done, I do the biggest PPVs, and I’m my own boss, so I can move and go wherever I want.

“So yes, I am the new Floyd in this sport, and yes, everybody wants to fight me.”

“Everyone” is an exaggeration, but you get his point.

[lawrence-related id=40885,40883]

Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez: Far-fetched or rational in one ($) sense?

Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez: Is the potential matchup far-fetched or rational in at least one ($) sense?

Jake Paul vs. Canelo Alvarez?

Anyone who follows boxing knows that such a matchup would be absurdly one-sided, a crude, relative newcomer against an all-time boxing great. Mismatch isn’t a strong enough word to describe that pairing.

Paul is as aware of that fact as you are. Still, the YouTuber-turned-boxer-and-promoter has repeatedly called out the Mexican star.

Is he nuts? Far from it. He’s an astute businessman who sees an opportunity to make good money, which is what Paul’s boxing career has been all about.

Oh, he has trained diligently in an effort to learn the fundamentals of the sport and seems to have been blessed with natural punching power, which has allowed him to start his career 8-1 (5 KOs) against weak opposition.

However, his principal strength is self promotion. That’s how he has been able to earn more than all but a few boxers in spite of his inexperience.

So no one should be surprised when he calls out potential opponents who are well out of his league, including the 33-year-old Alvarez.

“I think it will happen at some point,” Paul told reporters in the lead up to his fight against Ryan Bourland on the Amanda Serrano-Nina Meinke card Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico (DAZN), “I’ve been talking about that for a couple of years now.

“It makes sense. He’s coming to the end of his career where he’s gonna want to make a lot of money.”

Paul, 27, also rolled a lot of eyes when he described himself as the “new Floyd Mayweather.” That’s a stretch on more than one level. Mayweather was the best fighter of his generation and earned around $1 billion, according to some estimates.

At the same time, Paul’s comment is understandable in one sense: Like Mayweather, many boxers and other combat sports stars want to fight Paul because of the payday they would stand to earn.

Retired Hall of Famer Carl Froch is only the latest big-name boxer to express interest in facing Paul.

A reporter asked Paul whether he believes Froch would actually fight him.

“Of course he would, he wants payday, of course,” Paul said. “All these guys would fight me, I’m the new Floyd Mayweather in the sport. Seriously. Because I make my own decisions, I know how to get the business contracts done, I do the biggest PPVs, and I’m my own boss, so I can move and go wherever I want.

“So yes, I am the new Floyd in this sport, and yes, everybody wants to fight me.”

“Everyone” is an exaggeration, but you get his point.

[lawrence-related id=40885,40883]

Edgar Berlanga puts Padraig McCrory away in sixth, calls out Canelo Alvarez

Edgar Berlanga put Padraig McCrory away with a single shot in the sixth round and then called out Canelo Alvarez.

Edgar Berlanga got back to being a knockout artist on Saturday in Orlando, Florida.

The 168-pound contender, who stopped his first 15 opponents in the first round and outpointed his next five, stopped Padraig McCrory with one punch in the sixth round at Caribe Royale Orlando.

Berlanga (21-0, 16 KOs) is now the No. 1 contender for undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez’s WBA title.

“I want him now,” Berlanga said in the ring afterward. “We want Canelo next. Look at [promoter] Eddie [Hearn] right there. He’s going to make it happen.”

McCrory (18-1, 9 KOs) fought Berlanga on roughly even terms the first few rounds. However, by Round 3, Berlanga had initiated the process of breaking  down his Irish opponent.

He was battering McCrory in Round 6 with an overhand right put him down and hurt him. McCrory was able to get to his feet but was in no condition to continue, prompting both his corner and referee to indicate that enough was enough.

The official time of the stoppage was 2:44 of Round 6.

“I knew already I was breaking him down little by little,” Berlanga said. “I didn’t want to go crazy until I knew I had him hurt and that’s exactly what I did.”

Alvarez is expected to fight next on May 4 but he hasn’t announced an opponent, although fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia now seems to be the favorite to get lucrative opportunity.

Berlanga has said he’s willing to take that fight on relatively short notice if Alvarez decides to choose him.