By Edward Chaykovsky
In September of 2013, Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (47-1-1, 33KOs) took a big step up in class when he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a junior middleweight unification.
Mayweather dominated the twelve round contest to hand Canelo the first defeat of his career. The fight took place at a catch-weight of 152-pounds.
Since then Canelo has picked up five wins in a row. He returns on September 17th at AT&T Stadium in Texas, when he challenges the World Boxing Organization [WBO] junior middleweight champion Liam Smith.
Canelo faced tough boxers Erislandy Lara and Amir Khan during that winning run. He won a very close twelve round split decision over Erislandy Lara in July of 2014 - but fans were split as to which fighter rightfully deserved the win.
Canelo faced Khan this past May. Khan, who moved up by eight pounds to take on Canelo, used his speed and boxing ability to create problems for the Mexican star. But Canelo adjusted by the fifth round, and then brutally knocked Khan out cold in the sixth.
He would love to get the opportunity to face Mayweather for a second time. That rematch may never come, because Mayweather retired from the sport last September after winning a twelve rounder over Andre Berto. Nearing the age of 40, Mayweather is no closer to a comeback - based on his recent comments.
"Fighting Mayweather was definitely a learning experience and I have no regrets. I have grown so much from that experience and feel like a stronger and more skilled fighter. I have since them faced fighters with similar styles and have been able to adjust. I’m very open to a rematch, I think fans would really enjoy watching it again. And this time I feel like I would be the better fighter, I have the power and the skill to face him.," Canelo told Seen Sport Magazine.