A loss in his last outing in the ring has not dented the confidence of cash cow Canelo Alvarez.
The Mexican superstar, in fact, feels he is still at the top of the boxing food chain.
Last May, Alvarez came up short against Russia’s Dmitry Bivol in their 175-pound title encounter in Las Vegas, with Bivol winning a unanimous decision.
Alvarez, however, is looking to get back to his winning ways when he faces his bete noire Gennadiy Golovkin in their highly anticipated trilogy bout Sept. 17 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While their first two fights took place at the middleweight limit, the third one will be waged at 168, where Alvarez currently holds all the belts.
In a media workout on Monday, Alvarez was asked if he was bothered by the criticism he has received in the wake of his loss to Bivol, despite all the accolades he has collected throughout his career and the fact that he remains the undisputed champion at 168.
Alvarez said he was fine with the criticism and insisted that he still feels that he is the “best” in the sport because of his ambition and repeated willingness to test himself against top opposition.
“I feel good,” Alvarez told ESNews. “I’m in a position where I don’t need to take risks. But I like challenges. I like challenges. That’s why I picked Bivol, because I like challenges. And I [lost]. That’s it.
“When I win, I cheer and everything [When] I lose, I keep moving forward, keep focus. But still I feel I’m still the best. Name a fighter who takes that kind of risk in that position—nobody. So I feel I’m the best.”
Alvarez (57-2-2, 39 KOs) was probably referencing his recent spate of fights since his second fight with Golovkin in September of 2018, which Alvarez won by mildly controversial majority decision. Since that fight, Alvarez defeated contender Daniel Jacobs, earned a 175-pound title over longtime light heavyweight kingpin Sergey Kovalev, and unified 168-pound titles with comprehensive wins over Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant.
Alvarez has said he hopes to avenge his loss to Bivol, perhaps as soon as next May.
By Sean Nam