What happened to Canelo’s KO ability?

I think he’s just very comfortable with going 12 rounds. He knows he has the scorecards pre filled and seems to just like to fight slow paced. He has that “if the ko comes it comes” mentality nowadays. It’s pretty clear that he still has stopping power but makes zero effort to force it.

 

He's on the slide, VERY small for the weight and fighting 200 lb men.

 

He does seem to have less beef in his punches.

 

He got the knockdown on the bigger guy.

 

Canelo after like 4 rounds is EXTREMELY predictable. If you can make it to the middle rounds you're probably going to go the distance because Canelo has no plan b at all. He just walks forward and does the same thing over and over.

 

It's a combination of things amongst the most obvious of aging. His punching style is very different as far as output over his younger self. Looks alot more for quality shots over quantity in most fights these days and most likely was a function of managing his previous gas tank issues. He is also small for the weight(168) and I especially thought the Bivol fight was a bridge too far going in without really knowing much about Bivol at that point. And as much as most of you will hate to hear it. He's emulated a ton of things from Floyd in his career, albeit with his own twist. Remember late Floyd didn't really chase stoppages and was content with outpointing anyone in the world because at that point in his career he knew how to win rounds against almost any style with his eyes closed. He's still managed to put guys down in nearly every fight and that still shows his class as a boxer.

 

He'd get the Loma treatment if he wasn't considerably bigger than three of his last four opponents.

 

You're not wrong; the natural size difference went against him versus Bivol, but in his last four fights he has fought opponents who started out at MW or lower and he still couldn't stop them. If he started throwing in combinations again and set up his shots better then I think his last four fights would not have gone the distance.

 

Because he’s pretty small for 168. And he’s comfortable with a decision if he’s clearly outboxing his opponent.

like with Berlanga. Canelo was winning nearly every round and knew it. He could afford to be patient.

 

I feel like he throws single shots to conserve stamina. Remember still against GGG he gassed in the 3rd fight. But props to Canelo, I used to think because of his build he would be a guy like David Lemiux or Arthur Abraham. Really good at 154 but then the lack of reach or fast footwork would kill him at 160 and 168.

 

Signs of an aging fighter, clearly content with coasting the full 12. As well as being aware of his gas tank, and not being able to push the same pace he was able to when he was younger.

 

He's older, slower, and more content with coasting to a win as someone would have to dominate scorecards to beat him (ala Bivol), and he's good enough to avoid that happening. I think as long as he hits guys clean with showing shots that the crowd likes, I don't think he cares about the ko anymore

 

A lot of people are calling it crazy talk, but this is why I'm starting to think Crawford has a real shot at beating Canelo