Canelo Alvarez: “I only made Amir Khan go up one weight class”

By James Slater - 07/19/2016 - Comments

Mexican superstar Saul Canelo Alvarez has taken his share of criticism for not yet agreeing (in writing) to face Gennady Golovkin in the middleweight showdown the entire world wants to see, and rightly so. But Canelo, in speaking with RingTV.com, lashed out at GGG, and the middleweight champion’s upcoming fight with welterweight titlist Kell Brook. Canelo does not agree how his catch-weight fight with another Brit in Amir Khan is comparable to GGG-Brook, as Brook is having to go up two full weight divisions, and Khan had to go up just eight-pounds.

Canelo has not been impressed with any of Golovkin’s opposition:

“All of his opponents have been the easy road,” Alvarez said of Triple-G when speaking with the website of The Bible of Boxing. “He has never fought someone who has really pushed him or taken him to the next level. All of his opponents have been easy opponents. The main difference (between my fight with Khan and his fight with Brook) is that Brook is going up two weight classes. I only made Amir Khan go up one weight class. People say it was two but it was only one and this guy Brook is moving up two to fight GGG at 160.”

Canelo perhaps has a point, at least with regards to the comparison between his last fight and Golovkin’s upcoming fight. Fought at 155-pounds, Canelo made Khan move up eight-pounds “only.” It was still a big jump for Khan, a man who began his career as a lightweight, but on paper, Brook will make a bigger leap in September (even though he is a massive welter, who was “killing himself” to make 147). On the subject of GGG’s “easy opponents,” is it not more of a case of Golovkin beating good fighters who were simply made to look ordinary, or “easy?”

And as for the top names alleged to have ducked and dodged GGG, well, that’s another story; but is Canelo perhaps missing the point when he says Golovkin has not fought anyone who has pushed him? GGG of course wants the big fights – one with Canelo at the top of his wish-list – yet he just cannot get the big names in the ring with him. On paper (there’s that phrase again!) Canelo HAS fought better opposition: Floyd Mayweather and Miguel Cotto being better, far better in fact, than any of the names on Golovkin’s resume. But again, this is not GGG’s fault – he wants the best, the best do not want to risk it by fighting him.

But Brook is an elite fighter willing to take the risk, albeit an elite welterweight. It’s fair to say, though, that Canelo Alvarez will not be impressed (or at least he will not say he is impressed) if GGG crushes Brook in London. Canelo insists he will defeat Golovkin when they two finally meet (the talked of date, verbally agreed but nothing more) is September of 2017.

“Of course. I’m going to beat him,” Canelo told Ring.

Not if someone beats him to it, he won’t; as unlikely as that scenario is to envisage. Boxing needs GGG Vs. Canelo. Let’s hope this super-fight gets made and finds a decisive winner. Talking is one thing, actions speak a whole lot louder.

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