Boxing Pound Pound Ranking: Canelo Alvarez retains first place after making history against Caleb Plant

Like the holiday shopping axiom for “what to buy for a man who has it all”, there’s nothing more to say about Canelo Alvarez’s greatness that hasn’t already piled up in the way it already deserves.

Alvarez, 31, fulfilled his goal of becoming the first Mexican boxer to be an undisputed champion. when he stopped the undefeated Caleb Plant to unite the four world titles of superhuman weights last weekend.

The Mexican icon won four fights in 12 months to make his division his own, telling Alvarez everything he needs to know about what makes him special – in a pandemic, no less – when there are so many top fighters. fighting to fight even twice a year.

Alvarez was a surgeon breaking Plant’s guard and elite defense skills to prove once again that he can fight any style needed in a given fight. The 11th round TKO further established why Alvarez, at a time full of elite fighters, is the best pound-pound show – and not particularly close.

Can’t get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest news from the world of martial arts from the two best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including how Canelo Alvarez made history and where it goes from here.

After finishing such a busy calendar, Alvarez plans to take a break before returning in May, probably on the Cinco de Mayo weekend. The only suspense left is which direction Alvarez will take next to be big.

The latest teasing about his 175-pound return to the WBO title, which was expelled by Sergey Kovalev in 2019, is not interesting. Alvarez would leave a lot of size in light weight, where undefeated champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol live.

Alvarez could be at 168 pounds if he decides to stay aligned with the PBC to defend his four titles against marketable names like David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo. And then there’s the trilogy of middleweight graduate Gennadiy Golovkin, arguably the hope of the DAZN streaming platform, which aired Alvarez’s six previous fights before the Plant.

Whether Alvarez decides to go in any direction, the crowd will continue the sport’s biggest draw as he continues his special career, 16 years after he became a professional as an unknown teenager. Somewhere around Alvarez, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. will surpass the great to be recognized as one of the greatest boxers to adorn Mexican history.

Pound pound rankings

Excluded: Gervonta Davis

Honorable Mention: Davis, Juan Francisco Estrada, Artur Beterbiev, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Yordenis Ugas