Canelo Alvarez has for so long heard the snickers and chides that the next man up is going to test him like no other.
Whether it was Gennadiy Golovkin, Cuba’s Erislandy Lara, tricky then-world-champion Austin Trout and even the distant disrespect from the Charlo brothers.
Alvarez heard it all and answered it all.
And as he came to the Beverly Hills Hotel Tuesday for the news conference to publicize his May 4 defense of his undisputed super middleweight titles versus Mexican countryman Jaime Miunguia on Amazon Prime Video pay-per-view, Alvarez, 33, made a point of emphasizing the doubters and opponents he has conquered already.
Revisiting his most recent fight, a one-sided unanimous decision over undisputed junior-middleweight champion Jermell Charlo in September, Alvarez said he took extra satisfaction in dominating that bout.
“A lot of times, they talk shi*, calling me out, with you guys – the media – saying, ‘Hey, he doesn’t want to fight this guy, the champ … ,” Alvarez said. “That’s right … I don’t want to fight him.”
He said the last sentence in an eye-rolling tone, making it clear that he remains confident he can defeat any opponent within his weight class – Munguia on May 4, or even the unbeaten former super middleweight champion that fans are clamoring for him to fight, David Benavidez.
Alvarez said he isn’t consciously scripting his career path – for instance, he expressed interest in meeting the winner of the June 1 light-heavyweight for undisputed supremacy between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitrii Bivol – but he is resolute that once he commits to fighting a man, he believes the bout will go his way because of his extensive experience and skill.
“I know what’s going to happen,” Alvarez declared.
“It’s not the same being in the ring with me as it is with other fighters. Like when you [media] guys said, ‘Oh, Golovkin is going to knock out [Alvarez]. Why don’t you get in the ring with Golovkin … ?
“Well, when I did get in the ring with him, those were good fights, but I beat him three times.”
While the first bout was a draw, Alvarez answered aggressively and posted a triumph in the rematch and then dominated the anticlimactic trilogy bout.
“Because it’s what I say: It’s not the same being in the ring with me,” Alvarez said.
“That’s why I really enjoyed that fight with Charlo. Those [brothers] talked a lot of shi* about me before.”
Not after.
By Lance Pugmire