JUDGING CANELO

CANELO ÁLVAREZ’S 56-1-2 (38) only career defeat has been to Floyd Mayweather Jnr on points. In that 2013 superfight he was outboxed, but never hurt. Throughout his career Canelo has been in with big punchers, but it is hard to recall a moment – particularly since he’s been at elite level – where he was so much as seriously stunned, let alone hurt. A better chin than his is hard to find in boxing and he has never suffered a cut that threatened to terminate a contest. So it is reasonable to surmise that the only way to beat the super-middleweight is over the distance. And that is quite the chore.

Being the biggest draw in the sport comes with strings attached, namely dictating pretty much all the terms and conditions. It comes with unyielding power that promoters, networks, and sanctioning bodies can only challenge to a point. Simply put, Canelo is good for business. It benefits the sport’s leading powerbrokers for him to continue winning.

Though he’s was once accused of picking and choosing opponents, even his critics cannot deny he has boxed credible opposition who have pushed him hard. In short, he is a great fighter, one who if he retired today would