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'Canelo Alvarez in my humble opinion as a former participant of this sexy but deadly form of art, is the best fighter in the world, lb4lb. I am a big admirer of his talent and skill and toughness, a throwback. He is trained old school by his trainers, as I was in New York City. He was a man at 16, as I was forced to be. And he learned his lesson against the grand master in Money Mayweather; and that was don't rush and lead but rather time a counter. I learned a similar lesson sparring Herol Graham. He has the best timing in the world, does this Alvarez. He is an aggressive counter puncher and they are rare at top level, he is #1 for me.
'If you stand in front of Canelo, his combination punching ability is the best I've ever seen, he is so gifted and creative with his work around a guard. He reminds me a lot of Henry Wharton, if Henry Wharton wasn't naturally flat-footed, he was unbeatable - nobody doubled and trebled and quadrupled their left hands with hooks to the head and body and left uppercuts like that. Henry Wharton had the beating of me but didn't know how to execute a strategy, to pick shots and pick his spots and so on. Had Canelo did so against Floyd, he had the beating of Floyd Mayweather that night, and he has improved fight by fight since!
'Even including Floyd, I might say Canelo is the best out there.'
He also spoke about Steve Collins being the hardest man ever.
'Steve Collins is the strongest candidate you can think of for being the toughest man ever, or hardest or sturdiest individual shall we say, ever. Mike McCallum told me he never hit anyone so hard to the body, he countered Steve downstairs all night long in Boston and I was ringside with Bob Arum that night and despite a Ricky Hatton-like Irish crowd I heard those body shots rip in there and I saw Collins not even flinch or wince or budge.
'McCallum saw him with welts on his ribs a few hours after, smiling. Steve has rode horses since he retired from boxing, broke most of his bones taking falls and got back on the saddle every time so he says, and I can't disbelieve that. When Benn hit me I shuddered and squeezed my face, my body was shifted, my neck all jolted and so on; Collins wouldn't even blink when Benn struck him and was actually physically walking through the punches.
'In our second fight I recall hitting Steve with a right hand in maybe the 4th or 5th, I had decent room to execute the blow and lever into it, and for sure it was akin to a high-powered ballistic missile - I mean shots with less power had sent various opponents head over heels, and this man wasn't affected in the slightest. He just kept coming. What do you do with him?
'Hundreds of amateur fights from aged seven or eight right through the levels and through the weights up to heavyweight in Ireland, beating all the travelling community and what not. He went to Boston as a young man with no money I believe, a cash-in-hand labourer and hunted Marvin Hagler to spar.
'Conor McGregor has said he respects Steve Collins more than anybody in the world.'
'If you stand in front of Canelo, his combination punching ability is the best I've ever seen, he is so gifted and creative with his work around a guard. He reminds me a lot of Henry Wharton, if Henry Wharton wasn't naturally flat-footed, he was unbeatable - nobody doubled and trebled and quadrupled their left hands with hooks to the head and body and left uppercuts like that. Henry Wharton had the beating of me but didn't know how to execute a strategy, to pick shots and pick his spots and so on. Had Canelo did so against Floyd, he had the beating of Floyd Mayweather that night, and he has improved fight by fight since!
'Even including Floyd, I might say Canelo is the best out there.'
He also spoke about Steve Collins being the hardest man ever.
'Steve Collins is the strongest candidate you can think of for being the toughest man ever, or hardest or sturdiest individual shall we say, ever. Mike McCallum told me he never hit anyone so hard to the body, he countered Steve downstairs all night long in Boston and I was ringside with Bob Arum that night and despite a Ricky Hatton-like Irish crowd I heard those body shots rip in there and I saw Collins not even flinch or wince or budge.
'McCallum saw him with welts on his ribs a few hours after, smiling. Steve has rode horses since he retired from boxing, broke most of his bones taking falls and got back on the saddle every time so he says, and I can't disbelieve that. When Benn hit me I shuddered and squeezed my face, my body was shifted, my neck all jolted and so on; Collins wouldn't even blink when Benn struck him and was actually physically walking through the punches.
'In our second fight I recall hitting Steve with a right hand in maybe the 4th or 5th, I had decent room to execute the blow and lever into it, and for sure it was akin to a high-powered ballistic missile - I mean shots with less power had sent various opponents head over heels, and this man wasn't affected in the slightest. He just kept coming. What do you do with him?
'Hundreds of amateur fights from aged seven or eight right through the levels and through the weights up to heavyweight in Ireland, beating all the travelling community and what not. He went to Boston as a young man with no money I believe, a cash-in-hand labourer and hunted Marvin Hagler to spar.
'Conor McGregor has said he respects Steve Collins more than anybody in the world.'
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