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Paulie Malignaggi questions Canelo against the current 168 champions

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Image: Tim Bradley Thinks a Canelo Loss to Crawford Would Be More Damaging Than a Defeat to Benavidez

He pointed to names in the division and made it clear that younger belt holders and recent challengers present a different problem than the versions Canelo faced during his title reign.

Malignaggi mentioned 168-pound champions Christian Mbilla and Jose Armando Resendiz, as well as Hamzah Sheeraz.

“He’s teenage, he’s forceful, you can come back from this defeat and this long break, be this age and fight Resendiz, you, and everything is fine,” Malignaggi told Probox TV about Canelo facing a fight with WBA champion Resendiz.

“None of these fights are uncomplicated for Canelo after a long layoff. Neither of them will probably ever fight for a title in the real world again, but they were there and that’s mainly why it’s compelling.”

If Canelo returns in September as planned, he says he wants a champion. But if Malignaggi is right, even a guy like Resendiz may be too much of a driving force for the 35-year-old Canelo, who has been through as many wars as he has.

It must be admitted that there is a colossal difference between Canelo, who fought Gennady Golovkin in a rematch in 2018, and the one who had no ideas in the fight against Terence Crawford last September.

Malignaggi may be a polarizing guy, but he’s looking at the chilly reality of the current 168-pound landscape. When you look at the guys holding the belts, it’s a different world than the one Canelo ran in.

The division was essentially revamped while Canelo was sidelined after elbow surgery and the loss to Crawford. Christian Mbilli, Osleys Iglesias and Jose Armando Resendiz currently hold titles at 168.

Canelo’s style has become too meager. When you’re 35 years antique and undergoing major elbow surgery, relying on single, weighted power shots is a recipe for disaster against the monsters currently wielding the belts.

The Crawford fight was a wake-up call. These recent 168-pound champions are natural super middleweights with engines that won’t stop. If Canelo goes through with his plan to fight the champion on September 12 in Saudi Arabia, he will face a completely different physical challenge than the chess match with Crawford.

Since the second fight with Golovkin, the resume has been more of a strategic masterpiece than a competition one. Fights with Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant allowed him to unite, but none of these guys had enough firepower to really hurt him.

Even Berlang and Munguia’s fights felt like high-profile exhibitions, designed to keep the money flowing without risk.

The two times Canelo actually stepped outside of that comfort zone against elite, unsafe talents Dmitry Bivol and Crawford, he was defeated.

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Shane Mosley predicts PM Marvin Hagler vs PM Canelo: ‘I think he’s going to get him’

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Shane Mosley predicts prime Marvin Hagler vs prime Canelo: “I think he’d get him”

Two-division world champion Shane Mosley predicted how the fantastic fight between Canelo Alvarez and “Marvelous” Marvin Hagler would go.

Canelo ruled four weight classes, earning world honors between super welterweight and featherlight heavyweight and becoming the division’s first-ever undisputed champion in an iconic 11-month span.

The 35-year-old’s strength seemed to have waned recently, with him failing to win a single break since 2021. defeat to former lightweight champion Terence Crawford in his last fight.

That being said, his reputation will be able to be reclaimed in September when is fighting for the WBC super middleweight world title.

Still, as his career nears its final chapter, fans wonder where Canelo ranks among the greatest champions of his country, the contemporary era and of all time, wondering how he would fare against other iconic fighters in the division he ruled.

Speaking on Mi Gallo boxing podcasthosted by two-time middleweight title challenger Gabriel Rosado, Mosley selected middleweight fan favorite Hagler to emerge victorious in a fantastic fight against top-ranked Canelo.

“I think Marvin could get him.”

Hagler never boxed outside the middleweight division during his 67-fight career, reigning as undisputed champion for seven years and boasting the sixth-longest reign in division history; during this time he became notable for defeating Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns.

In total, Hagler won 62 of 67 professional fights, with his only three losses coming to Bobby Watts, Willie Monroe and Sugar Ray Leonard, as well as draws to Vito Antuofermo and Sugar Ray Searles.

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Will Joshua-Fury actually happen?

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Author: Sean Crose

“Whether it’s at Wembley Stadium, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas or outside my backyard, it’s still five years too tardy.” This is what Darshan Desai from Yahoo Sport claims in a recent column, in which he states directly that the supposedly upcoming Tyson Fury-Anthony Joshua fight is already past its prime and has little significance. Let’s face it, this man is right. For whatever reasons, good or bad, Anthony, Joshua and Tyson Fury never had the opportunity to step into the ring while they were both in charge. And that, honestly, is very bad.

However, this could be a very good fight, worth saving. I say “maybe” because I’m still not convinced it will happen. People talk about things like location and little things like that. The truth is that these two came close to fighting, but they never did. Now their best days are behind them. There are more and more adolescent goats, Oleksandr Usyk conquered them twice apiece. What are these two fighting about… what exactly? Well, let me tell you: these two huge heavyweights are eager to fight because a brawl between them will answer the one question that makes boxing great: which one is the better fighter?

We still don’t have an answer to that question, so I’ll be fascinated to see how the Joshua-Fury fight ends if it actually happens. I’ll repeat: I’m not entirely convinced. One thing is certain, this is the last chance for this fight to become an vital event in the sport of boxing. Seriously, if it lasts beyond 2026, it will be an ancient man’s game…. At least that’s how some people will see it. It will certainly be seen as past its sell-by date.

Of course, if this fight does happen and turns into a thriller, the rematch will be widely seen on television or, in the parlance of the state-of-the-art world, streaming. People thought Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns had weakened before their rematch in the tardy 1980s, but the fight turned out to be a great fight, a classic worthy of the name. If such a match takes place between these two Englishmen, no one will care whether it is relevant or not. The emotions associated with the competition alone will make it vital.

It’s challenging to imagine that any of these men will actually have to fight each other or anyone at all at this point. They have made untold fortunes for themselves, and while boxers are known for leaking millions of dollars, none of them are expected to be on their doorstep anytime soon. However, warriors fight even when they are already at their peak, even when it is unsafe to continue fighting. There may be fewer of them than before, but both Fury and Joshua have a competitive spirit. And that still counts, even in an era where high-level players can go years without slipping between the ropes.

So yes, people will be interested in watching this fight. While the criticism is valid and well-founded, these two not-so-young men are adolescent enough to draw crowds. It won’t be vital. It certainly won’t be as it could be. But it will be something. And when it comes to fighting fans, sometimes something is just good enough. It shouldn’t be like this… but unfortunately it happens sometimes. Let’s hope the fight, if it actually happens, will be a doozy. It still has the makings of a great case.

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Emiliano Vargas targets fight with George Kambosos after Bryce Mills fight

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Image: Emiliano Vargas Targets George Kambosos Fight After Bryce Mills Clash

“Because before this fight, I would love to fight George Kambosos,” Vargas told Sean Zittel when discussing potential opponents after the Mills fight.

Emiliano stressed that his focus remains on Mills, but made it clear that he believes he is getting closer to the title.

“I’m going to show the world that I’m ready to fight for the title,” Vargas said.

The son of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas believes that a good performance on the Jaron Ennis-Xander Zayas card can give him significant progress in the competition.

“After this fight, I would love to have a title eliminator or former world champion,” Emiliano said. “I’m second in the WBO rankings, 12th in the WBC. I’m there and I’m knocking on that door.”

Vargas comes into the fight off a win over Agustin Quintana in February. While this performance sparked debate among some fans, Emiliano considers the innings he saved as valuable experience in continuing to develop his game.

The undefeated fighter claims that during the last camps he expanded his training team and worked intensively on movement, angles and fighting under pressure. He also recently spent time in David Benavidez’s camp, drawing inspiration from the former world champion’s work ethic and aggressive style.

If Emiliano beats Mills on Saturday, attention will quickly turn to who will be next. From his comments, Kambosos is at the top of the list.

Kambosos, a former unified lightweight champion, would represent the most recognizable name of Vargas’ career and potentially take him one step closer to the title eliminator he thinks he wants next.

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