The undisputed super middleweight champion Mexican Saul Canelo Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) was going to conquer the fifth division – cruiserweight. Moreover, he planned to fight in this weight not just with anyone, but with the ex-absolute of the division and the current unified heavyweight champion Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs).
It seemed that the May defeat in the light heavyweight limit from the Russian Dmitry Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) playing for Kyrgyzstan would bring down the arrogance of the Mexican, but that was not the case. Canelo
claimsthat he is still ready to fight Usyk: “Yes, it would be very difficult. But I don’t care. I love these kinds of challenges. I know it’s going to be damn hard, but I love boxing in those conditions. I am proud of what I have achieved in boxing. Because I was nobody.”
Canelo watched a rematch between Usyk and the previous holder of the WBA Super, IBF and WBO belts Briton Anthony Joshua (24-3, 22 KOs) – the fight took place this month in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia). The Ukrainian won by split decision. Canelo: Joshua looked good, but Usyk is not just a good fighter. This is a great fighter. That’s the whole difference.”
The Mexican even estimated the chances of the Ukrainian to become the absolute champion of the division – to beat the owner of the WBC belt Briton Tyson Fury (32-0-1, 23 KOs): “Will Usyk be able to repeat all this with Fury? No I do not think so. I think that Fury will win, because he has everything: skill, anthropometry, weight, power. Usyk will have to solve another problem in the fight with Fury.
On September 17, Canelo will make his debut defense of the undisputed super middleweight title against Kazakh Gennady Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs). Previously, they met twice in 2017-2018: the first fight ended in a draw, the second was won by the Mexican.
Golovkin said yesterday: “I don’t need to be Bivol to beat Canelo.” And the Mexican called the condition under which he would refuse a rematch with Dmitry.