“Canelo is not the same Canelo from four fights ago”
Jose Benavidez Sr believes that this version of Canelo Alvarez that defeated John Ryder is not the same Canelo from four fights ago. He insists that we are witnessing Canelo’s decline.
“I was thinking that Canelo would stop Ryder within four or five rounds, but I think he didn’t go for the stoppage, and Ryder escaped alive”, Benavidez told IZQUIERDAZO. “People were not happy (in Guadalajara), they were expecting a stoppage, but as I have been saying, Canelo is in the final stage of his career”.
On Benavidez’ opinion, Saul didn’t have the killer instinct to go for the stoppage.
“In this fight, I didn’t see ferocity in Canelo, I didn’t see determination”, Benavidez said. “I didn’t see Canelo wanting to prove that there is still Canelo for a while. I think that he got tired, that he doesn’t have that extra gear, that fire, that power to hurt an opponent and finish him, like the Canelo of the past did”.
Benavidez Sr has been vocal about Canelo’s decline since several months ago, and he insists on that view.
“I think that Canelo’s body is not responding, the way it did when he was younger”, Benavidez explained. “Canelo is still young, the problem is that he started very young in pro boxing when he was 16 years old. He’s had many wars, too many training camps in his body. And his body resents that. I think that is the case. He is not the same Canelo that we saw four fights ago”.
The incapacity of Canelo to stop Ryder is a testament of his decline, according to Benavidez.
“I think (Canelo) made the fight harder than it should be”, Jose Sr. said. “Ryder didn’t feel his power to the extent of staying down in the canvas. Canelo landed good shots, the knocked him down twice, but he didn’t hurt Ryder to the extent of putting him out”.