Sorry ‘Tank,’ Canelo Is Still The ‘Face Of Boxing’

The legendary Canelo Alvarez 58–2–2 (39 KO) will make another walk to the ring later tonight (Sat., May 6, 2023) live on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, Mexico, as the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight champion tries to remind the boxing world that he’s still the face of the sport. Alvarez will meet veteran John Ryder (32-5, 18 KO) in the main event.

Despite his decision loss to Dmitry Bivol last year Alvarez remains one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing today. Canelo’s overall resume and sheer skill inside of the ring are why he’s been so popular over the years. It’s also the biggest reason why Alvarez ultimately became the face of boxing after Floyd Mayweather Jr. stepped away from fighting back in 2015.

That was nearly eight years ago and Alvarez remains at the pinnacle of the sport. Other champions like Tyson Fury, Terrence Crawford, Errol Spence, and Oleksandr Usyk are all doing their thing, but Alvarez still commands the spotlight whenever he takes centerstage. Undefeated WBA (Regular) lightweight champion, Gervonta Davis, recently finished Ryan Garcia in their massive headliner and believes he’s the new face of boxing, but Alvarez is here to remind him he’s still in the driver’s seat.

“I’m not retired yet, my friend,” Alvarez told reporters earlier this week (h/t Boxing Scene). “They can say whatever they want, but, you know, it’s not that easy. One fight don’t put you in that position. You need to do a lotta things.”

“There are a lotta good fighters coming up,” he later added. “One of them is Gervonta, for sure. But he need to do more things, not just in one fight. But I like Gervonta. I like Gervonta Davis a lot. You know, but he need to do more things to be the face of boxing, not just one fight. And one fight with Ryan Garcia – I respect Ryan Garcia. But what he brings [to be] the face of boxing?”

Luckily, Alvarez will have another chance to prove he’s still the face of boxing later tonight in Mexico against Ryder. Alvarez is a massive -1800 betting favorite, but that doesn’t mean the super middleweight king can’t put on a tremendous show for the home crowd and wrap up Cinco de Mayo in style.

“I always fight with the best out there, like up and down in weight,” Alvarez said. “Nobody do that. So, I [became] undisputed [super middleweight champion] in 11 months and fighting in other weight classes, this is what I’ve been doing my whole career.”

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MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the Canelo vs. Ryder main event HERE. The PPV main card broadcast kicks off on DAZN PPV at 7 p.m. ET, while Canelo and Ryder are expected to make their ring walks around 10 p.m. ET.