Three weeks remain until the next fight of Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, who will step into the ring at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on September 14th to face Puerto Rican puncher Edgar “The Chosen One” Berlanga. The official announcement of the fight has sparked heated controversy from those who believe Berlanga is an inadequate challenger for the big stage and that Canelo should have already accepted challenges from far more dangerous fighters, especially David Benavidez.
However, Alvarez doesn’t seem to care about the criticism and fan frustration. He has repeatedly stated that he has reached a status in boxing that allows him to do as he pleases without having to answer to anyone. As a result, two fighters who were considered genuine wrecking balls in the super middleweight division, Benavidez and Cuban David Morrell, have even moved up to light heavyweight rather than wait for a world title shot that Alvarez had no intention of granting them.
Yet, the Mexican wasn’t always this cautious and conservative in choosing his opponents. His career has gone through at least four different phases, transforming him over time from a young lion hungry for glory and impervious to fear into a king afraid of losing his throne. In this deep dive, we’ll examine these phases in detail.
Phase 1: The Young Lion
There was a time when Saul Alvarez feared no one. Turning professional at just 15 years old, Canelo tore through opponent after opponent, gaining experience in the ring by fighting at an old-school pace of about 7 bouts a year. By 2010, he was already facing well-known names and became a world champion the following year.
This was the era of youthful recklessness, the belief that he could beat anyone and was destined for glory. At just 23 years old, he accepted the challenge of ring legend Floyd Mayweather Jr., despite a catchweight agreement that forced him to drop two pounds below the junior middleweight limit—a division that was already becoming tight for him.
Despite the boxing lesson he received that night, Canelo had no hesitation less than a year later in stepping into the ring with Cuban Erislandy Lara, a fighter whose style and characteristics could have given him similar troubles. It was a risky choice that many in his team probably advised against, leading him close to a second defeat (which some believe should have been given to him), but Canelo stubbornly went ahead: the young lion would not be swayed.
Phase 2: The Caged Lion
When a promoter’s fortunes largely rest on a single talented fighter, who is by far the most valuable asset in both sporting and economic terms, the fear of seeing the golden goose diminished can reach extreme levels. This is what happened with Oscar De La Hoya, who, recognizing Saul Alvarez as the crown jewel of Golden Boy Promotions, could not afford to overly indulge the young man’s courage by throwing him into the fire: the young lion had to be caged.
Thus, to the dismay of boxing fans worldwide and Mexicans in particular, Canelo was forced to relinquish his WBC middleweight title rather than face the mandatory challenger, Gennady Golovkin, who at the time seemed an insurmountable mountain for anyone. It was only when the Kazakh fighter, nearing 35 years old, showed the first signs of vulnerability by narrowly defeating American Daniel Jacobs, that De La Hoya gave the green light for the big fight.
By this point, Alvarez was being protected more than an endangered species, with the help, it must be said, of judges who were reluctant to disrupt the plans of the most economically powerful fighter in the business. Thus, a clear defeat in the first Golovkin fight magically turned into a draw, and what could have been a draw in the rematch became a win, thanks to the twelfth round being scandalously given to Canelo on two scorecards.
Phase 3: The Unleashed Lion
Eventually, Canelo broke out of his cage. The rehydration clauses imposed on opponents to diminish their effectiveness, the careful selection of rivals, and the controversial decisions had significantly increased the number of detractors of the Mexican fighter, who, although unable to express his frustration publicly, hinted at it in various interviews.
The second fight against Golovkin, where, contrary to most experts’ expectations, Canelo managed to battle toe-to-toe at center ring with the terrifying Kazakh puncher, gave the Mexican a terrifying belief in his abilities. The methodical boxer who once preferred to outbox his opponents with speed and timing had transformed into a fierce destroyer with killer instinct and immense competitive fire.
Finally free from his contractual ties with Oscar De La Hoya, the Mexican bulldozed through the world’s best super middleweights: from the towering Callum Smith, faced without any rehydration clauses, to the provocateur Billy Joe Saunders, and even the elusive Caleb Plant. Canelo responded with his fists to those who had dared attribute his greatness to the preferential treatment he received from Golden Boy Promotions.
Phase 4: The King Afraid to Lose His Throne
Canelo’s triumphant march towards ultimate glory crashed like a giant wave against the rocks when the Mexican attempted yet another feat by challenging light heavyweight world champion Dmitry Bivol. The decisive loss that followed, far more comprehensive than the questionable official scorecards indicated, cracked something in Alvarez’s resolve.
The man who once felt invincible and watched his opponents crumble under the weight of his punches had found a rival capable of absorbing them, responding, and making him look powerless. The risk of seeing his legacy irreparably damaged suddenly loomed before him, and it’s no coincidence that Canelo flatly rejected Bivol’s offer to have the rematch at super middleweight, ensuring that his loss, as painful and stinging as it was, remained linked to his attempt to venture into hostile territory.
The disappointment from that day was compounded by the inevitable onset of decline. Although far from old, Alvarez has already fought 65 professional bouts, and the toll of so many battles is beginning to impact the Mexican’s sharpness, brilliance, and athletic endurance. While still masterfully masking this slight dip thanks to his immense technical skills, Canelo must surely be aware that he is no longer the same fighter who once exchanged blows face-to-face with Golovkin, even managing to push him back at times.
This is likely why Canelo vs. Benavidez will never happen. The Guadalajara star is no longer willing to take the risk of tarnishing the image he has built, an image that will undoubtedly one day earn him a place in the Hall of Fame. The aging lion now watches over his kingdom from the highest cliff, letting the strongest of the young predators tear each other apart without getting too close to his throne.