Is reigning middleweight king Canelo Alvarez destined to go down as a great fighter who was never given the opportunity to a avenge his sole pro defeat? Canelo has lost just once as a pro – to Floyd Mayweather back in 2013 – and the Mexican star admits he still thinks about the fight; he still has “that little itch for it,” as in for the chance of revenge. It’s not yet known if Canelo will go down as a great, but he sure seems to be on his way.
But that sole loss on his record – will it ever be erased? Canelo told USA Today Sports how he is ready for the rematch whenever Floyd wants it, if he ever does want it.
“Anytime he’s ready, I’m ready,” Canelo said during a break from training for his December 15th fight with Rocky Fielding, up at super-middleweight. “If the day comes that he wants to come out of retirement for it, I’m a different fighter, I’m more mature, I’m a great, A-level fighter now and it would be a great opportunity. I’ve always had that little itch for it since way back, and now I’m more experienced and more mature. It’s a fight that could happen.”
But is it? Mayweather has never expressed any interest in fighting Canelo again. For although Mayweather – who has said he will fight a big-money rematch with Manny Pacquiao – would have the opportunity to go for world middleweight glory and a piece of boxing history in a rematch with Alvarez, it would likely be far too risky for Floyd. Anything can of course happen in boxing, especially these days, but though we will see Mayweather fight again it doesn’t ever figure to be against Canelo.
A rematch would be very interesting if it did actually happen: could Canelo improve on his performance of over five years ago, to the extent that he would take Floyd’s zero? Or would the 50-0 master once again prove to be too good and too clever for the Mexican?
Canelo still thinks about it, and so do some fight fans. Most great champions get the chance to try and avenge a big loss, but Canelo may well have to live with that decision loss to Mayweather forever.