I can admit to being a Canelo hater. His whole clenbuterol debacle was maddening. He's gotten favorable judging from Mayweather, Trout, Lara, GGG. He's had favorable negotiations against Kovalev. He's taken on no hopers like Amir Kahn, Liam Smith and Rocky Fielding. But he's also unified titles at 154, 160, and 168, won a belt at 175, lineal champ at 160, lineal champ at 168 and about to collect all four belts. He's the only active boxer making big fights happen. He fought an undefeated GGG, a game Jacobs, a game Kovalev, an undefeated Saunders. Who else is keeping active and making fights happen? No one! In an era where boxers are avoiding each other like the plague because they are afraid of losing their 0 and afraid of losing out on future pay days I can at least appreciate Canelo for putting himself out there and making the top fights happen.
I am not his biggest fan, but he's the closing thing the sport has right now to a Mayweather or ODLH. Be grateful for him.
After doping, his legacy is tainted. He will not be close to these fighters. And as Mayweather he never fought his top opposition at their peak blatantly avoiding GGG at his peak. And his 2 fights with faded GGG are full of decision controversy...
This is what I've been saying. Everyone else is doing the same hijinks and are still talking about when to take a step up fight at age 28. When he's gone the best will consistently fight the best only in the lowest weight classes where they have no other option to earn money.
Alvarez gets tons of shyt, and some of it is earned, but as OP stated, he's making significant fights happen consistently. He is dedicated to the game and takes a by and large respectful approach to the whole thing, at least attitude wise. When you compare his recent opposition and activity with most of the other pound-for-pounders, it's leaps and bounds better. He's one of a handful of men to become THE Champion in a traditional division (he's not, however, lineal at 168) in an era that promotes mere belt-holders. Also, despite getting favorable judging, he has taken a few challenges he didn't need to. No one would have batted an eye if he never took on Kovalev. Lara was a challenge that many of Alvarez's stature would have avoided because of the inherent risk. Again, there are still things to be sour about, but he's not the obnoxious diva others have been.
Great fighter and I've never denied his talent and believe it or not I used to be a fan of his and defend him. And in addition to the reasons you laid out his teenybopper doe-eyed fangirls really do bring a good percentage of the heat on him just by virtue of being them. However, by far his best 'win' (which was another gift from his judges) is a way past prime senior citizen GGG who he not only should be 0-2 against but he shamelessly ducked a closer to prime version of like he had leprosy after hiding out in the Kazakhstani-proof state of the art electrified chicken coop he had specially constructed and the weight division he created to avoid him until he saw the signs of ageing and decline he'd been patiently biding his time waiting for. But apparently that senior citizen he shamelessly ducked a closer to prime version of and who he should be 0-2 against even though he had to jack himself with PEDs to secure the 'win' over is a ''bum'' according to Ginger lovers.
Timing. 168 is as garbage as 140 during Crawford's reign there. BJS had looked like garbage for 3 years now.
I personally have them 1 and 1 and don't blame anyone for being sour about it. However to both of their credits 160 was a no man's land until Canelo got there and both fights showed how good they were. All of Canelo's post fights kind of raise GGG's stock as he has been Canelo's biggest challenge since then.
Like I said, it's not just his deck-stacking ways, all the gifts and outrageous scorecards from his judges, and the corruption that is synonymous with his name as ginger hair is that rubs many up the wrong way. He has some of the most insufferable fans you will ever encounter and if they could just be honest and admit the criticisms many have regarding him and the corruption surrounding him are very valid and that we have a point and are absolutely entitled to feel the way we do then many would be less hostile towards him. But they don't they just double down on being more insufferable and when they accuse fighters like GGG of being a ''bum'' and start with all that ''but who he beat?'' **** whilst conveniently ignoring he beat their ginger messiah but was robbed blind by his corrupt judges then it just makes them immensely unlikable. I ignore his fans even though I like some of them when they aren't discussing boxing.
Well he has said this week he wants to box for another 6-7 years. By the time he finishes with boxing, his resume and achievements could be ridiculous.
