By Norm Frauenheim –
It’s getting hard to identify the so-called face of boxing. One week, it looks a lot like Gervonta Davis. Next week, maybe it’ll look like Canelo Alvarez all over again.
Let’s just say it’s fractured.
Alvarez, at least, promises to erase the doubt Saturday on pay-per-view in a Mexican homecoming against John Ryder in a comeback that might help identify how much is left in Canelo’s long, legendary career.
It also figures to identify who’s next.
A couple of days before opening bell against Ryder in a DAZN super-middleweight bout (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT) near Guadalajara, next continues to look a lot like Dmitry Bivol, the light-heavyweight champion whose upset of Canelo in May left persistent questions about the Mexican’s future.
The bout against Ryder, a 16-to-1 underdog, looks to be the first step toward a chance for Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) to set the record straight with an avenging victory.
Ryder (32-5, 18 KOs) could change all of that, or at least just add more questions. But don’t bet on it, especially in front of an expected crowd of more than 50,000 proud Mexican partisans at a soccer stadium near Canelo’s hometown.
Canelo, who is coming off wrist surgery, reiterated his plans to fight Bivol during a session with reporters Thursday. He repeated that he wants the rematch at light-heavyweight again. There had been some talk, mostly from promoter Eddie Hearn, about super-middleweight.
But, no, Canelo said, he wants everything to be the same on every scale. Only the result changes, he vowed. At light-heavy, his 168-pound titles also would not be in jeopardy.
Last week, World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman said he would not allow Bivol, a Russian, to fight for a belt sanctioned by the WBC. The Mexico City-based acronym has banned Russians from its rankings because of Putin’s war against the Ukrainians.
It’s a move that probably assures mandatory challenger David Benavidez will have to wait until at least next year. But there’s a silver lining. Finally, Benavidez now appears to be on Canelo’s agenda. After a year of dismissing Benavidez, Canelo mentioned him as a real possibility Thursday.
After Bivol, the plan is to fight Benavidez, he said.
“You know, I fight everybody,” Canelo said. “When Gennadiy Golovkin first appeared in the boxing community, I was the guy to face him. Same thing with Benavidez.’’
Plans are like faces, of course. They change. For the first time, however, it looks as if Benavidez’ long, often impatient pursuit of a bout with Canelo will be realized.
Yet, it also represents a potential risk for the Phoenix-born super-middleweight, whose credibility and celebrity were further enhanced by his unanimous decision over Caleb Plant on March 25.
It could mean a dangerous date against David Morrell, who is coming off an eye-opening first-round blowout of Yamaguchi Falcao on the undercard of Tank Davis’ stoppage of Ryan Garcia on April 22.
Morrell, who called out Benavidez after the victory, looks like a threat, perhaps the riskiest date in Benavidez’ own fight to become a face of the game.
