SEATTLE - After months of speculation, we finally know who will be the fighter that will square off with Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez on May 4 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Even though fighting a Mexican boxer was against his wishes, 'Canelo' will have to defend his super middleweight belts against compatriot Jaime Munguia.
After a blockbuster fight with José Benavides couldn't be agreed, BoxRec's No.1 pound-for-pound boxer will face a Mexican fighter once again, almost seven years after he did so for the last time. 'Canelo' and Julio César Chávez Jr. fought in front of a sellout crown in T-Mobile Arena in 2017, with the bout going the distance and 'Canelo' winning via an unanimous decision.
Since rising to prominence in the boxing world, 'Canelo' has stopped fighting Latino boxers regularly. Out of his last 17 pay-per-view events, only two of them were against members of this demographic. Before his fight with Chávez Jr. in 2017 he had faced Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto in 2015.
With less than two months left before 'Canelo' takes on undefeated Jaime Munguia (43-0, 34 KO's), here's some of the Mexican champion's best fights against Latino boxers throughout his career.
Julio César Chávez - May 6, 2017
After years of negotiations, 'Canelo' and Julio César Chávez reached a deal that saw both Mexican boxers square off in Las Vegas during 'Cinco de Mayo' weekend in 2017. More than 20,000 people witnessed 'Canelo's' dominance over 12 rounds, landing punches left and right over his opponent. Chávez Jr. had a tough time dealing any damage to 'Canelo', as the son of legendary boxer Julio César Chávez landed just 24% of his punches that night.
Álvarez, who clearly dominated the fight since round one, landed 157 more punches during the 12-round fight, finding Chávez's body in 38% of his punches thrown, according to data from CompuBox.
Miguel Cotto - November 21, 2015
After suffering the first loss of his professional career against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013, 'Canelo's' career needed to be reignited. His camp saw in Miguel Cotto an opportunity for the Mexican to add a big win to his resume.
The Puerto Rican was 35 years old and the holder of The Ring's middleweight belt at the time of the fight. The former four-division champion took a more cautious approach against 'Canelo,' who was 10 years younger than him at the moment of the fight.
In a slow but very intense bout, the Mexican came out victorious in the judge's eyes scoring an unanimous decision win over the Puerto Rican. 'Canelo' connected more powerful blows than his opponent that night, landing 40% of his power punches (118 out of 298). With the win, 'Canelo' finally added a commanding win over a world champion to his resume and left the ring that night as the new WBC middleweight champion.
Carlos Baldomir- September 18, 2010
A young 'Canelo' faced off against former welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir in 2010. The 20-year-old Mexican only needed six rounds to finish the former world champion in front of a sell-out crowd in Los Angeles, California.
What was most surprising about 'Canelo's' victory wasn't that he defeated a formidable opponent and a former world champion, but it was the fashion in which he accomplished it. Before his fight with Álvarez, Baldomir was known for his strong chin. The only previous time that one of Baldomir's fights had to be stopped was in the second round of his seventh bout as a pro in 1994.
The Argentine boxer, who was almost double the age of 'Canelo' during their fight, struggled against the Mexican's combination of speed and power. 'Canelo' ended the fight in the six round thanks to a powerful left-handed hook that sent Baldomir to the mat.
"It's true that he hits hard. He hits really hard," Baldomir said after the fight. "His power really surprised me. This kid is the real deal. And he's going to be a champion. No one has hit me like he hit me before. He knocked me out me and nobody (except one man) has ever knocked me out."
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