Trainer Vergil Hunter says Canelo Alvarez has been ducking the guys he should be fighting, Dmitry Bivol & David Benavidez, and he is not giving fans the fights they want to see.
Hunter feels that Canelo’s decision to fight a guy two weight classes below him in Jermell Charlo was a similar move to when he fought welterweight Amir Khan at middleweight.
Although it is not quite as bad a fight because Jermell can take a punch better and has more power, still, this isn’t the fight that the boxing public wanted to see from Canelo.
Fans want to see Canelo fight these guys:
- David Morrell Jr.
- Dmitry Bivol – rematch
- David Benavidez
- Artur Beterbiev
- Demetrius Andrade
Instead of fighting those guys, Canelo is facing Jermell, and in his next fight, he’s expected to face middleweight Jermall Charlo, who will be coming off an incredible three-year layoff by next May.
That would be the ultimate cherry pick on Canelo’s part, facing a slurring fighter who hasn’t fought in three years since 2021.
Canelo has been ducking
“It is, but you can’t turn it down. You have to take that opportunity,” said trainer Vergil Hunter to Fight Hub TV about Jermell Charlo going up two weight classes from 154 to 168 to challenge Canelo Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight championship on September 30th.
Of course, Jermell isn’t going to turn down the fight with Canelo, but why is he being offered the fight in the first place and not Bivol, Benavidez, Beterbiev, Andrade, or Morrell Jr?
“Jermell is a tall kid. He’s got a frame where he can carry that extra ten pounds,” said Hunter. “I wouldn’t suggest he go to 168 because even if you weigh the same, you’re not going to be stronger than he is [Canelo].
“So you have to take advantage of what you have. You have hand speed. You punch hard enough to get respect, and you box well enough to get respect. I actually give him a great chance in that fight.
“I actually think Canelo is slipping. I think he’s very hittable. I think he only throws one or two punches. I think the stamina problem is right there. One thing is that, no disrespect, he’s ducking who he really should be fighting.” Hunter said about Canelo.
“You wolf like you’re going to fight Bivol. You ridicule David Benavidez’s resume when you won your first 154-lb title against a guy that they put in the ranking, Ricky Hatton’s brother [Matthew Hatton],” said Hunter about Canelo capturing his first world title in a 152-lb catchweight fight for the WBC junior middleweight title against welterweight Matthew Hatton.
It looks really bad that Canelo didn’t even try to avenge his loss to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and then used the excuse of wanting to fight for his 168-lb belts as the excuse for not fighting him again.
Bivol would have fought Canelo at any weight, yet they used his offering to face him at 168 as the reason for not making the rematch. Fans can smell fear from Canelo.
Alvarez not giving fans the right fights
“So if we’re looking at it truthful, right now, you’re not giving fans the fight they want to see,” said Hunter. “To go to Jermell is like when you went to Amir Khan. Although Jermell is more durable than Amir, has much more punching power, and I think Canelo is showing slippage.
“He’s only able to throw one or two punches at one time, and from what I understand, he lives a pretty party lifestyle also.”
Canelo has made a lot of money, with a fortune of close to a quarter of a billion dollars, and his passion for golf has taken away from his game.
“So money can do some strange things to you when you have been fighting as long as he has since a kid and things like that,” said Hunter. “The ego is there, and you can start bypassing things and lose the hunger. When the hunger is gone, the skills start going.
“I think if he starts getting tired against Jermell, Jermell shows great ability in late rounds; it could be a problem if he lets him get on the other side of seven and eight.
“I don’t see Jermell standing there and letting him get bombs off on him. I think it’s going to be a very interesting fight, and I don’t think weight has much to do with this.”
If Canelo gasses out in the first half, Jermell has a good chance of beating him and possibly knocking him out.
“I think it’s going to be skill, and if Jermell can hit with enough authority to get his respect, it’s going to be an interesting fight. That’s the whole key,” said Hunter about the Canelo vs. Charlo contest.
https://youtu.be/HaHJPujLDm4?si=ZijHQ-Y3DjSMNbOn&t=10