Comments Thread For: Teddy Atlas: "If Canelo's Gonna Be Called One Of The Greatest Mexicans, He Has To Fight Benavidez"

[Theshotyoudontsee]

How has he shut up his critics?

He’s got an awful lot of loud critics still with plenty of ammunition.

He’s a 4 weight world champion, but can you really consider him a true champion at 168lbs?
Benavidez lost his belt on the scales, he never lost a fight at 168lbs.
Canelo never fought number 1 at 168lbs.
He dropped his belt rather than face GGG at 160lbs, looking at how an older GGG did against Canelo, it seems likely that Canelo would have lost.
Canelo avoided a prime Andrade at 154 and 160lbs.
In fact, you can argue Canelo has never proven himself to be the number 1 fighter in any class his fought in.
He simply avoided fighting the best in his division.
There’s an argument he’s always been number 2 or lower in whatever class he’s been ‘champion’ in. His competition has always been vocal about wanting to make the fight happen with Canelo, and Canelo swerved those fights.
Canelo is an all time runner up with a great marketing team.

Probably the best description of Canelo I have ever heard. All time runner up with a great marketing team.

Not only did he avoid the best, the best he ever fought, GGG, who Canelo had already aged out in a dodge, beat him twice.

That is what the, "Canelo is a living legend" people tend to forget. He should have two more losses than he has. And those two robberies catapulted his career upwards and stole the glory that was rightfully Gennady's.

What great fighter in their prime did he ever beat? Collecting trinkets from mostly mediocre fighters, while losing wide to Floyd, having Oscar pay to make two GGG wins not happen, and then getting beat up by Bivol...who is now the best boxer ever according to Canelo fans....it is all just silliness.

Put the two GGG losses on his record where they should be and he has a good record, not a great one. Great chin.

To the poster who asked whose decision it is who the all-time greats are...it sure doesn't matter what Canelo fans think, or what Floyd fans think, etc. I like Bud, but he isn't an all time great...he has the skill level, eye test....but he, and Canelo, are in the wrong era. in the past decades there was far stiffer comp. No boxer fighting today IMO is ever going to make the top 50 all time great list, the best of the best, because the competition today is weak as hell compared to even ten years ago.

Floyd and Manny were the last guys to make that list, IMO. they both fought great competition, won belts in multiple division. Canelo ain't fought the comp to place himself in that league, not at all. And the good comp he did fight beat him. Sorry. You all can love the guy, but he is hype, hype, hype.

[crimsonfalcon07]

How has he shut up his critics?

He’s got an awful lot of loud critics still with plenty of ammunition.

He’s a 4 weight world champion, but can you really consider him a true champion at 168lbs?
Benavidez lost his belt on the scales, he never lost a fight at 168lbs.
Canelo never fought number 1 at 168lbs.

As of Dec 2019, the Ring champion was Callum Smith... Smith was the #1 super middleweight for BoxRec too before the Canelo fight. He was also the #1 for ESPN, Combat Press, Bad Left Hook , World Boxing News, etc. Then Alvarez beat him, and took #1 from him. Starting to get the picture?

Prior to Canelo taking his run at the Super middleweight division, nobody had Benavidez as #1, and Canelo immediately took the top place by beating the #1. I don't think Benavidez was EVER #1 at 168. Maybe he will be within a couple years, but making up this notion that he was some bogeyman who Canelo ducked isn't historically accurate. Facts are that he wasn't ranked #1 by anyone when Canelo took his run, and that he wasn't professional enough to keep his belt not once but twice, or Canelo might have had to go through him. I still want Canelo to fight him to secure his legacy, like most everyone else, but he never separated himself from the crowd until he started chasing the bag in earnest.

[buge]

I have a feeling Canelo is gonna fight Crawford in May. Possibly Mungia. I cannot see him fighting Beneviedez. Too much risk

I'm not a Canelo fan, but I see Canelo sleeping the wild swinging Benavidez ... either that or a tame Benavidez makes it to the final bell

[A.B Counterhooks]

Teddy Rants is putting money on benavidez for sure lmao its no secret he dislikes the cinnabon ,always has something negative to say about freckles lol.

[HeadShots]

Canelo couldn't knock out an older GGG, so he definitely cant k.o. David

Ggg is silver medalist and world amateur champ

he can pump a jab and get on his feet.

David has 2 left feet. He stands there and trades.

[MulaKO]

He is in contract with PBC, so he's definitely not fighting Munguia. He will fight and beat Benavidez in May. There is no doubt about this.

Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Oh hang on
Hahahahahahahahahahaha

[hhh1200]

Yep he don't want to lose that O

That's a good one.

[TintaBoricua]

As of Dec 2019, the Ring champion was Callum Smith... Smith was the #1 super middleweight for BoxRec too before the Canelo fight. He was also the #1 for ESPN, Combat Press, Bad Left Hook , World Boxing News, etc. Then Alvarez beat him, and took #1 from him. Starting to get the picture?

Prior to Canelo taking his run at the Super middleweight division, nobody had Benavidez as #1, and Canelo immediately took the top place by beating the #1. I don't think Benavidez was EVER #1 at 168. Maybe he will be within a couple years, but making up this notion that he was some bogeyman who Canelo ducked isn't historically accurate. Facts are that he wasn't ranked #1 by anyone when Canelo took his run, and that he wasn't professional enough to keep his belt not once but twice, or Canelo might have had to go through him. I still want Canelo to fight him to secure his legacy, like most everyone else, but he never separated himself from the crowd until he started chasing the bag in earnest.

I hear a lot of podcasts of boxing folk being on both sides of the fence on whether Canelo has to or Canelo doesn’t need to fight Benny. As much as I would love to see the fight now more than ever after that destruction of Andrade, I think the pressure is at an all time high to fight Benny. Would people be upset if he DIDN’T fight Benavidez? Yes. Do I think it impacts his legacy? Not in the slightest.

If Canelo decided to fight Jermall in May, vacate at 168, rematch Bivol at 175 and win/lose/draw, it doesn’t hurt him that much. It feels as if it would be the equivalent of Jones Jr. deciding to walk away after beating Ruiz and leaving Tarver behind. Would people have been upset? Yes. Would it have mattered for his legacy? Eh, I don’t think so.

Again, does it look bad in the short term? Yeah. But this dude loooooooooooooooong ago secured his legacy and did extra to boot. At this point it’s a matter of whether or not he puts a cherry on top of that sundae.

I don’t mind seeing the fight come to fruition. But I also don’t think Canelo needs this fight as badly as a fish needs water. Sue me.

[hhh1200]

Ggg is silver medalist and world amateur champ

he can pump a jab and get on his feet.

David has 2 left feet. He stands there and trades.

That got hard heads around here

GGG similar to Beterbiev

Benavidez similar to Gilberto Ramirez.

I believe they are still buying into that Mexican Style nonsense GGG was hustling them for money. All GGGimmick style.

[Oracle01]

I completely disagree. While Benavidez is finally starting to show he's a legitimate top 3 168lber, assuming Canelo goes on to beat Benavidez, I don't think it'll rank any higher than his win over Danny Jacobs.

Canelo somehow rematching and beating Bivol - which I don't see happening - would rank far higher and do more for his legacy than beating Benavidez.

Danny Jacobs had 2 losses and was nowhere near as dominant as Benavidez, let alone as impressive in general as a fighter. Canelo has never fought a young undefeated killer in their prime. Benavidez actually has a better resume that GGG already also. That guy was way over hyped. His best win before he fought Canelo was a close decision over Jacobs.