Canelo Sparks Controversy: He Ranks Himself Above Chávez, Durán, Hagler, and Usyk
Por Carlos Rodríguez ·
Saul “Canelo” Álvarez reignited the debate over his place among boxing’s greatest legends after participating in an unusual discussion that included names such as Julio César Chávez, Roberto “Manos de Piedra” Durán, Marvin Hagler, and Oleksandr Usyk.
The Mexican boxer appeared alongside content creator ShowBizz The Adult in a simple challenge: Canelo had to punch the host every time he heard the name of a fighter he considered better than himself. The Guadalajara native’s reaction was enough to spark a conversation on social media. When Julio César Chávez, Hagler, Durán, and Usyk were mentioned, Álvarez didn’t throw a single punch. Under the rules of the challenge itself, his reaction implied that he doesn’t consider any of those champions to be better than him.
Does Canelo think he’s better than Chávez?
The comparison with Julio César Chávez is particularly striking given the former champion from Sonora’s significance in Mexican boxing.
However, it is worth clarifying one point:
Canelo did not offer a detailed analysis of his career compared to Chávez’s during this exercise, nor did he compile a historical ranking.
His stance stems specifically from the rules of the game in which he was participating.
The dynamic changed when three other names came up.
Álvarez did strike the host when he heard the names Dmitry Bivol, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Muhammad Ali, indicating—according to the established rules—that he ranked them above himself.
There is one particularly interesting detail in the first two cases: Canelo knows exactly what it means to face them in the ring.
Mayweather defeated the Mexican by majority decision in September 2013, when Álvarez was 23 years old.
Bivol also defeated him by unanimous decision in May 2022, when Canelo moved up to light heavyweight (Filed under: Canelo Álvarez sparks debate with Chávez).
Canelo has another immediate goal
The discussion about his legacy comes as Álvarez prepares to return to the ring.
The Mexican is scheduled to face the undefeated Christian Mbilli on Saturday, October 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in a bout for the World Boxing Council (WBC) super middleweight world championship.
The organization confirms that Mbilli will arrive as the champion with a record of 29 wins—24 by knockout—one draw, and no losses.
Canelo, for his part, has a professional record of 63-3-2, with 39 knockouts, and will seek to regain the 168-pound world championship (Filed under: Canelo Álvarez sparks debate with Chávez).
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