LAS VEGAS – For three years Saul “Canelo” Álvarez has effortlessly slid between three weight classes, collecting titles between 160 and 175 pounds, knocking out some of boxing’s best along the way. So it came as no surprise that when asked about the possibility of facing heavyweight titleholder Oleksandr Usyk in the future, Álvarez didn’t flinch.
“I like it,” Álvarez said. “Why not? I’ll fight everyone. I don’t f------ care.”
No kidding. At 31 and atop every credible pound-for-pound list, Álvarez (57-1-2) is at the peak of his powers. “Ask him if he can beat Anthony Joshua,” said Álvarez’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, “and he’ll probably tell you yes to that, too.” Last year, Álvarez completed an 11-month housecleaning of the super middleweight division, ripping belts from Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, handing each their first loss. On Saturday, Álvarez will take the first step toward supremacy at light heavyweight when he takes on Dmitry Bivol, a—wait for it—undefeated 175-pounder who has held a version of the title since 2017.
