Where does Canelo rank on your all time Mexican fighters list ?

Outside the top 10. Mexican boxing history is extremely deep, and the top 5 especially is solidly locked, unless someone like Canelo did something truly ATG.

For reference, a top 5 would be something like:

1. Chavez
2. Olivares
3. Sanchez
4. Saldivar
5. Canto

With the order subject to change, but not the names. 6 - 10 is where ranking becomes very interesting, but at the moment I wouldn't have Canelo in it.

 

He's truthfully an insult to the Mexican greats because they built their greatness on their own terms.

Canelo's "greatness" has been molded by Golden Boy's influence.

 

A lot.

 

Obviously outside the Top 15

 

nowhere

 

If he beats Charlo,Saunders and Andrade he'll be up there.

 

If we will count mexican-Americans, californian born fighters, Canelo will not make the Top 20

 

A rough top 10 of mine would be:

Rubén Olivares
Julio César Chávez
Miguel Canto
Vicenté Saldívar
Salvador Sánchez
Érik Morales
Juan Manuel Márquez
Carlos Zárate
Baby Arizmendi
Marco Antonio Barrera

Then after that you have the likes of Herrera, Pintor, Chucho ect.

Canelo and his cheating promotion come a tier below true ATGs, and even fringe ATGs.

 

Well, controversial matters because it’s a bogus “win”, against an opponent who is largely considered overrated (with no major scalps of his own) and it’s doubly controversial because of the scandal around Canelo’s juicing. He didn’t get caught the one time he tried it.

 

I don’t think he factors in. He’s been carefully managed and heavily backed in a weaker era starving for fighters with “star power”. In that sense he’s hit the lotto. He has far too many controversial fights, catch-weights/re-hydration clauses which were made not to make things “even” or “fair” but to use an advantage that the “A side gets”. You’ve also got the failed PED tests which he did in his 20s and he still barely scrapes by guys like Trout, Jacobs, robbery vs. Lara and old GGG. Even a washed up, smaller Cotto was far more competitive than he should be. If you’re gonna abuse catch-weights, re-hydration’s, PED’s etc; then blast the opposition like Pacquaio and Jones did or even JMM, do it when you’re 38, 39 and leave no doubt. Don’t juice, have everything stacked and squeak by or get a robbery win.

He’s a good fighter, he’s got some good fundamentals, slick defense but the rampant PED use shows and makes him gas up in every fight and he just can’t create distance against a carefully selected field. He’ll never be a great fighter because his entire career is a massive *.

I say if you give him the benefit of the doubt (you obviously know he’s a cheat and he’s an industry fighter) and overlook some of this you can place him between 15-25. To me, I think someone like Estrada is really a better fighter and then if we talk actual legends he’s not in the quality or class as Chavez, Marquez, Olivares, Zarate, Barrera, Sanchez, Saldivar, Morales etc; nor can he ever be.