“I will enjoy the victory and see what happens next.” That was Saul “Canelo” Álvarez’s somewhat terse answer to the question of what his future holds after his unanimous decision victory over the emphatic Edgar Berlanga.

On Saturday, September 14, everything looked as usual at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Another hungry juvenile contender, consistently claiming to be the one who turned the super middleweight division upside down, was outthought, outplayed and ultimately eclipsed by Canelo. Berlanga put up more resistance than many expected, but he could never gain a foothold in the competition, indelibly swimming against the current created by Canelo.

In many ways, the Mexican is a victim of his own success. For most boxers, fending off a brash up-and-coming attacker with relative ease would be a source of lion’s respect. But as Canelo sat in the post-fight press conference, the questions he asked were essentially about his future: What, and more importantly, who will be next?

David Benavidez

It’s a fight that most boxing fans have been calling for Canelo to take. Benavidez, an undefeated former world champion, appeared to be on a collision course ahead of a seismic clash with Canelo.

A four-time world champion in a weight class who has carried boxing on his back and dragged it through the treacherous terrain of the pandemic, it’s demanding to throw that muddy, inappropriate D-word at Canelo: dodge. However, every time Benavidez’s name is mentioned, Canelo’s unmanageable fiscal demands stall negotiations.

He spoke in May this yearhe laid his cards on the table well and honestly. “All I see is that Benavidez is 25 or 30 pounds heavier than me on fight day. I have no problem with that, but if he wants me to fight him, it’s $200 million.”

Benavidez’s nickname “El Monstruo” (The Monster) certainly fits, and his gigantic frame dwarfs any super middleweight opponents. But size has never been an issue before; Canelo has fought twice at lightweight heavyweight and is rarely the bigger fighter in the ring.

Nevertheless, with Benavidez himself currently competing in the lightweight heavyweight division, it looks like the clash with Canelo will go down in the annals of boxing history as one of the fights that never were.

Terence Crawford

Following Crawford’s victory over undefeated welterweight contender Errol Spence, rumors of a fight between him and Canelo began.

While earlier this fantastic fight would have looked the same, Turki Alalshikha’s interest in organizing this fight gave it a different tone. But it takes two to tango, and Canelo didn’t want to discuss the prospect of fighting Crawford while preparing for a battle with Berlanga.

In a sport like boxing, it would be foolish to assume that talks to arrange a fight will resume once Canelo overtakes his rival. Alalshikh reaction his response was to punish him, fanning the flames in X’s corrosive playground as he accused the Mexican of looking for an “easier” opponent since his last defeat, “being afraid” of Crawford, wasting time and making excuses.

This matchup is tempting, it’s true, but Alalshikh was very supportive of it. Without his ability to work with Canelo and push the fight forward, it will remain dormant; a damaged firework that cannot ignite.

Crawford is one of today’s greats. Photo by Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

Dmitry Bivol

Dmitry Bivol is in quite good company standing next to Floyd Mayweather Jr. as one of only two players who won against Canelo in the professional ranks. It was in May 2022 when Bivol defeated the Mexican by unanimous decision, defending the WBA lightweight heavyweight belt.

Since then, rumors of a rematch between the two teams have never really gone away. Canelo is not a man accustomed to defeat, and he once again expressed his willingness to rebuke his demons that night in Nevada.

As is often the case in boxing, weight discrepancies derailed the fight, but not in the way fight fans are accustomed to. No, it’s not the rehydration clauses that are muddying the waters this time; instead, both want the fight to take place in their opponent’s weight class.

Bivol, a lightweight heavyweight, has stated that he intends to strip Canelo of his super middleweight belts, believing it will disprove any claims by opponents that Canelo was fighting him in uncharted territory. Meanwhile, his Mexican foe refuses to leave room for critics who say he is stripping Bivol of his full arsenal and a lightweight heavyweight rematch.

This is an unusual, if noble, cause of contention between the two camps, as both men seek to avoid the metaphorical asterisk placed on them in the event of victory. However, no matter how valid the disagreement, the rematch remains in a state of inertia.

Of course, it would be a sin not to mention the figure of Artur Beterbiev hanging over Dmitry Bivol as their historic meeting on October 12 approaches. Regardless of the outcome, however, Canelo is not a man often used to the bitter taste of defeat; the opportunity to turn things around on Bivol is sure to whet the appetite of a man so accustomed to destroying all who come in contact with him.

Dmitry Bivol captures Lyndon Arthur during their fight in Riyad. (Photo: Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

So where does Canelo stand?

A true boxing superstar, he is the master of his own destiny and can build his path in any way he sees fit. Canelo is well on his way to a brilliant career, but there are only a handful of opponents who will take his legacy in the sport to even greater heights.

AURA: A characteristic atmosphere or quality that appears to surround and is generated by a person, thing, or place. Few players exude the aura that attracts crowds and builds buzz. This type of aura is gold dust in the world of boxing, available only to higher-class fighters. It’s austerity. This cannot be taught. They are born with it.

Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather. Names that need no introduction. Aura does it for them. Companies and PR managers try to create this type of aura, but ultimately fail. As a boxing fan, you miss these types of fighters. They turn the mundane into spectacle and leave the sport as a legend. There is one fighter right now who has plenty of that special sauce, and fortunately for us, his best fights are yet to come.

Gervonta “Tank” Davis is a breath of fresh air. The 6-foot-7 southpaw from Baltimore is one of the biggest names in boxing with a 30-0 record and 28 fights finished within the distance.

To the untrained eye, his boxing style may be perceived as reckless, but it is far from it. What he does in the ring is thoughtful and precise. Few players can boast such a hit as Tank; his knockouts are mesmerizing. Davis’ obvious attributes are his naturally massive hands, which allows him to take down opponents with either hand.

His precise accuracy and level changes make this God-given talent even more devastating (he tends to drop to his knees or waist and then jump up with his powerful shots). When you watch Davis, you’ll see him throwing or hitting challenging shots. It may look like he’s in an uncomfortable position, but if you look closely you’ll see that he always ends the shot in a unthreatening position. He does this by framing (using his forearm to keep his opponent where he wants them) or by using his arm to throw him off balance.

In the early rounds of Davis’ fights, it’s clear he’s taking his time. He’s not even trying to win these early rounds; downloads data. By looking at the opponent’s shape, seeing his power and adapting to his speed.

At times it can seem like his opponents are giving Davis a run for his money. They are not. Davis simply hasn’t chosen his time yet. In these early rounds, when the action hasn’t started yet, you can expect boos from the crowd and maybe some anxiety. Not in tank combat. The crowd knows a knockout is coming. This is Tank’s aura.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 15: WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis (R) punches Frank Martin during their title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis defended his title with an eighth-round knockout. (Photo: Steve Marcus/Getty Images)

Without a doubt, he is one of the most eye-catching offensive players, and his defense is often overlooked. This may be because all of his defensive techniques are implemented in a counter-punching manner, which is the hallmark of an smart knockout artist.

You will often see his opponents playing in overtime as he is constantly changing his form. Most fighters have a “shape” that rarely changes, while the Tank changes his shape during fights, sometimes adopting a wide stance with his front shoulder forward in a Philadelphia shell, sometimes standing straight in front of his opponents, it all depends on how he holds himself. he wants to line up his shots.

Watching Gervonta, it’s clear that he learned from his aged mentor, Floyd Mayweather. You’ll see Tank harassing his opponents by resting his weight on his front foot and placing his gloves at his temples. This encourages his opponent to overexert himself and make mistakes, allowing Tank to operate a tactic that Mayweather often used.

Davis’ underrated skills combined with his KO power make him the complete package. He’s currently one of boxing’s top-performing stars on pay-per-view, which means he gets to call the shots.

It seems that the fight with Ukrainian phenomenon Vasyl Lomachenko ended in failure. As a huge Loma fan, I can’t say I’m not pleased. Although I believe that Lomachenko still has a lot in store, it cannot be denied that this is not the same Loma that left his opponents stunned and overwhelmed a few years ago.

Like most of boxing, I’m looking forward to the Davis vs. Stevenson fight. Although Shakur Stevenson has shown that he is an elite fighter with an unreal skill set, he has yet to fight a superstar like Tank. If these two met in the ring, their combined ring IQ would be comparable to anything this generation has ever seen. Regardless of who we see Davis fight next, I will be watching it along with the rest of boxing.

AS the dust begins to settle on last weekend’s huge fight between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, it’s worth taking a step back and looking at just how unpredictable the heavyweight landscape has become in recent years.

Although the fight was not a Hagler-Hearns war as several boxing leaders had suggested, and was in fact more of a one-sided beating, it was still extremely shocking and stimulating.

Just like when any top heavyweight fighter loses in this era, there will always be a vast section of people criticizing him for how he has been exposed, overrated and, of course, how needy the era of heavyweights is.

There were enough topics in the comments that appeared on my social media during the huge heavyweight fight and honestly, I don’t understand the criticism at all.

Currently, Oleksandr Usyk is beating top fighters after a great cruiserweight performance to establish himself as an all-time great and undisputed king, albeit temporarily due to boxing politics. The UK is led by popular, stimulating champions Fury and AJ, whose weaknesses add drama to their fights.

They have both beaten top players and failed on other occasions. However, their impact on the sport, selling out stadiums and delivering all-time classics on many occasions, has once again brought heavyweight boxing to the forefront of British sport. Add to that Daniel Dubois, the newly crowned IBF champion, as well as a man who endures an unexpected series of devastation and bounces back on his own after two crushing defeats.

It’s strange to think that Joe Joyce had just beaten Dubois and Parker by stoppage and then been beaten three times in the last four, with those he toppled being at the very top of the tree. Coincidentally, Joyce was derailed by Zhang and Chisora, two men Parker defeated! That’s the nature of the game, especially for the huge boys – style creates fight.

Fury easily demolished Chisora ​​three times, only for Chisora ​​to give Usyk his toughest fight, and Usyk then goes on to beat Fury. Dubois, who was stopped by Usyk, attacks AJ, the same AJ who went the distance with Usyk twice.

Ngannou and Wallin worry Fury. AJ drops them off. Joyce stops Parker before Zhang kicks Joyce out twice, only to lose to Parker. Every era has these stylistic contradictions. Look how easily George Foreman took down Ken Norton and Joe Frazier, two men who gave Muhammad Ali absolute nightmares, only for George to be tactically outsmarted and stopped by Ali.

Joseph Parker lands a right hand at Zhilei Zhang during their heavyweight fight in Saudi Arabia (Richard Pelham/Getty Images)

It’s not the greatest heavyweight era in history, but it’s particularly good and incredibly fascinating. When you have an overview of the entire era, you can include the intrigue of Deontay Wilder, who, despite lacking solid boxing fundamentals, at all times possessed great KO power in his right hand that could aid as an equalizer in any fight.

Andy Ruiz, with a combination of quick hands and a desire to create Mexican history despite the odds, caused an upset. Dillian Whyte has entertained us on many occasions. Add to that the likes of Povetkin, Chisora, Parker and Joyce who caused problems for the main players when given the chance to play.

Add to that fighters like Zhang, Bakole, Kabayel and Hrgovic chomping at the bit to get into the title fight, and alongside names like Moses Itauma, Fabio Wardley and Frazer Clarke breaking through, you’ve got a lot of fighting left to do. division and many explosive matchups to come.

This is due to the murky era of heavyweight boxing ruled solely by Klitschko, whose dominance in an era of few worthy challengers and even fewer great fights ensured a numb period in the glamor division.

Even in the early 1980s, it was all Larry Holmes, the 1940s were ruled by Joe Louis, and the 1920s were ruled by Jack Dempsey, who, while making an incredible impact on the sport himself, only defended the heavyweight title five times in six years.

This isn’t the 1970s or 1990s, which were the greatest eras in heavyweight history, but they are very fascinating, with top champions, ever-changing supremacy, great fights, and a lot of really perilous, stimulating challengers.

Anthony Joshua lost to a better man on Saturday night, it’s happened before, but he also defeated a lot of proven good fighters and left a very influential legacy in British boxing, both in and out of the ring. While it’s not the greatest era of heavyweight boxing in history, all things considered, it’s certainly one of the better ones.