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Canelo Alvarez is the 2021 TSS Fighter of the Year
In boxing’s strange and curious year of One-Hit Wonders, it makes perfect sense that The Sweet Science’s 2021 Fighter of the Year is the busiest bee of elite pugilism, Santos Saul Alvarez Barragan.
That’s admittedly quite a mouthful, but you can call the fully unified ruler of the super middleweight division Canelo. Hey, everybody does. The nickname the man who is widely considered to be his sport’s pound-for-pound best has come to be known by globally is short, descriptive (of Alvarez’s red hair, fair complexion and freckles), easy to remember and as appropriate for a superstar of his stature as “Pele” was for Brazilian soccer legend Edson Arantes do Nascimento or “The Babe” was for 1920s/’30s New York Yankees slugger George Herman Ruth.
“Family members and friends call me Saul, but sometimes they’ll slip and call me Canelo,” the 31-year-old Alvarez explained in 2017, when he was already near the peak of his powers but with additional room for legend-building that may still be quite a way from completion. “It doesn’t matter. I’m happy to accept that. [Being called Canelo] became natural to me.”
Something else that comes naturally for Mexico’s most popular fighter and accomplished active fighter is winning, often spectacularly, and collecting world championship belts as if they were discount coupons for a fast-food joint back in his hometown of Juanacatian, in the province of Jalisco. His 11th-round stoppage of IBF 168-pound titlist Caleb “Sweethands” Plant in their unification showdown on Nov. 6 at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena enabled him to annex that strap to go along with the WBC, WBA and WBO ones he already held, making him just the sixth male, and first Latino, to fully unify a weight class in the four-belt era that dates back to the division’s creation in 1984. He joins an exclusive club that includes middleweights Bernard Hopkins (2004) and Jermain Taylor (2005), junior welterweights Terence Crawford (2017) and Josh Taylor (2021) and cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk (2018). Canelo and Taylor are the only two fighters who currently claim that distinction.
“This means so much for the history of Mexico to become an undisputed champion,” Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs), who previously enjoyed reigns at junior middleweight, middleweight and light heavyweight, told the sellout crowd of 16,586. “There are only six undisputed champions (in the four-belt era). It keeps me happy and very motivated to be one of the six.”
How active was Canelo in 2021? In a year where other premier fighters by choice or circumstance were one-and-dones, he fought and won three times, retaining his WBC and WBA super middleweight titles on Feb. 27 on a third-round TKO of WBC mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim of Turkey, who did not come out for the fourth round; added Englishman Billy Joe Saunders’ WBO belt on May 8 on an eighth-round stoppage before a crowd of 73,126 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and then systematically broke down the undefeated and very capable Plant, a Tennessean who now lives in and fights out of Las Vegas. If you include his unanimous decision over the United Kingdom’s Callum Smith on Dec. 19, 2020, for the vacant WBC super middle crown, Alvarez logged four wins in as many tries against high-grade foes over an 11-month period.
But remaining on an unshared throne that other dipped-in-gold passers-through in the super middleweight division missed out on, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roy Jones Jr., James Toney and Joe Calzaghe, may not be enough of a challenge to make Alvarez stay put. He already has set his sight on a jewel-encrusted belt in a fifth weight class, cruiserweight, against the winner of the Jan. 29 clash pitting WBC champ Ilunga Makabu of Congo and Thabisco Mchunu of South Africa. Now that he’s cleaned out the super middles, who can blame him for getting right back into action and against a significantly larger opponent? If you’re going to dare to be great, the bigger the hurdle, the greater the reward when you clear it.
It was a strange year for boxing, 2021 was, what with COVID-19, among other factors, impacting a lot of top fighters’ schedules. The four top contenders for TSS Fighter of the Year other than Alvarez – Usyk, Taylor, Tyson Fury and George Kambosos Jr. – all fought just once. Usyk (19-0, 13 KOs), the former undisputed cruiser king from Ukraine who was fighting for just the third time as a heavyweight, scored an upset unanimous decision over WBA, IBF and WBO ruler Anthony Joshua on Sept. 25 before a massive crowd of 70,000-plus in London; Taylor (18-0, 13 KOs), the WBA and IBF super lightweight champ from Scotland, on May 22 annexed Jose Ramirez’s WBC and WBO belts on a 12-round unanimous decision; WBC heavyweight titlist Fury (31-0-1, 22 KOs) on Oct. 9 dominated former champ Deontay Wilder in winning via 11th-round knockout, and Kambosos (20-0, 10 KOs), mostly unknown outside of his native Australia, came to Madison Square Garden and on Nov. 27 wrested the favored Teofimo Lopez’s WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight belts on a 12-round split decision.
Collectively, Canelo – who turned pro at 15, had his first 12-round fight at 17 and has now faced 21 world champions in 60 professional outings – and the four TSS FOY runners-up are now 125-1-3 with 87 KOs.
Editor’s Note: Bernard Fernandez, named to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Observer category with the class of 2020, was the recipient of numerous awards for writing excellence during his 28-year career as a sportswriter for the Philadelphia Daily News. Fernandez’s first book, “Championship Rounds,” a compendium of previously published material, was released in May of 2020. The sequel, “Championship Rounds, Vol. 2,” with a foreword by Jim Lampley, arrived last fall. The book, published in paperback, can be ordered through Amazon.com and other book-selling websites and outlets.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 307: Destination Puerto Rico, Israel Vazquez and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 307: Destination Puerto Rico, Israel Vazquez and More
Liam Paro the saucy Aussie from Brisbane surprised the world in his last effort. He’s back for more.
Paro (25-0, 15 KOs) defends the IBF super lightweight world title against Brooklyn’s Richardson Hutchins (18-0, 7 KOs) whose arms are as long as his first name. The Matchroom Boxing card will be shown from San Juan, Puerto Rico on DAZN.
The last time Paro fought also took place in Puerto Rico when he upset then-champion Subriel Matias last June. It was like watching Bambi beat up the big bad wolf.
How did he do it?
The southpaw Aussie (pictured on the left) used a persistent attack that emphasized quick punches while pressing forward against the powerful Matias. Leverage was his game and he maintained the pace for 12 rounds to lift the title from the Puerto Rican.
The challenger Hitchins poses a different threat. Though he won a close decision in his last fight against Argentine slugger Gustavo Lemos, the Brooklyn fighter used his length and clinches to nullify the constant attacks.
When Paro and Hitchins meet, both like to clinch on the inside. Its when they fight at arms-length that the battle will be decided.
“Hitchins is mandatory for a reason. He’s worked his way up there, and we know that this isn’t an easy task. We’re at the world level now where every fighter is elite,” said Paro.
For Hitchins the opportunity arrived quickly.
“I respect Liam, because he’s not one of those guys that will mess around,” explained Hitchins. “Liam has never been in the ring with an opponent like me.”
Also on the Matchroom card, lightweight Marc Castro (13-0, 8 KOs) meets Agustin Quintana (20-2-1, 13 KOs); super feather Hector Lebron (19-0, 10 KOs) meets Christopher Diaz-Velez (29-4, 19 KOs); and flyweight Yankiel Rivera (6-0, 2 KOs) fights Angel Gonzalez (14-0, 7 KOs).
Israel Vazquez R.I.P.
In the boxing world, not every champion becomes financially rich. Some like Israel Vazquez become rich in adulation and respect. Few prizefighters were as beloved as Vazquez.
The Mexico City native was perhaps the greatest ambassador of boxing. Wherever he went fans were drawn to his smile and friendliness. Everywhere I encountered Vazquez fans surrounded him like a long-lost cousin.
Sometimes I wondered how this humble human being could be the same beast in the boxing ring that fought epic battles against many of the best fighters of the early 2000s. Vazquez was like a werewolf once he put on those gloves.
Managed by Frank Espinoza and son he quickly developed a fan base in the Southern California area. Nothing came easy for Vazquez though he was trained by legendary Freddie Roach, it seemed Vazquez was always destined to encounter crazy obstacles.
I vividly remember at the Arrowhead Pond, Sycuan Casino, and especially Fantasy Springs when he was there as a spectator and one of the fighters did not appear. Vazquez was there about to eat a hot dog with relish and was asked if he could fight? He put on his trunks and gloves and won the fight.
Who does that?
His battles with Oscar Larios and Rafael Marquez were some of the most brutal yet captivating boxing wars ever seen. I remember his third fight with Larios taking place in Las Vegas. He was a 5 to 1 underdog. It didn’t make sense. Vazquez won by knockout.
I attended three of his four battles with Marquez. The first one took place at the Home Depot Center now called the Dignity Health Sports Park. The two Mexico City super bantams savagely slugged it out. But Vazquez suffered a severe broken nose and could not breathe. The fight was stopped and I remember the HBO announcers criticizing his manhood for not continuing.
Vazquez went on to defeat Marquez twice in subsequent fights that were all captivating wars and emblazoned both their names in history. No other battles could match their ferocity.
Yet, outside of the boxing ring, Vazquez was revered and beloved as the most kind and generous fighter.
The last time I saw Vazquez was at a Hall of Fame luncheon in Commerce, California a year ago. He asked if it was okay to sit next to me. Me a nobody and him a Hall of Fame fighter. I was invited by Nancy Rodriguez, another wonderful human being and a boxing official, to attend the luncheon. I always feel tongue-tied sitting next to greatness. It was the last time I spoke to Vazquez.
The fighter known as “El Magnifico” fought for the last time in 2010 at Staples Center. His eye was badly cut and his manager Frank Espinoza retired the revered champion. Three years later, I ran into Vazquez at a boxing card in Cancun, Mexico. I couldn’t find my transportation and there was El Magnifico about to enter a taxi cab with six other people. He spotted me and said to join them in the cab. But there was not enough room. He offered his spot in the cab. I told him “no thank you, those are your friends but thanks for the kind offer.”
That was Israel Vazquez. One of the best human beings I ever met.
Top Rank in Arizona
Two world title fights headline a Top Rank card in Phoenix on Saturday, Dec. 7. ESPN will show the pivotal matches.
WBO featherweight titlist Rafael Espinoza (25-0 21 KOs) defends against Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs) whom he wrested the title from a year ago.
“I’ve always wanted a rematch. because it was a war where we both gave everything. So, he deserved it, I deserved it, and the people deserved it,” said Espinoza.
Mexico’s Espinoza has a long reach and power that kept Ramirez off-balance when they fought in 2023. It should be a very interesting rematch.
Another rematch pits Oscar Valdez (32-2,24 KOs) against WBO super featherweight titlist Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) who defeated him when they met in August 2023. Their first encounter was brutal.
“It’s going be difficult for both me and Valdez. However, we don’t need much. All we need is for the bell to ring for us to go to war,” said Navarrete.
Fights to Watch
Sat. DAZN 4 p.m. Liam Paro (25-0) vs Richardson Hitchins (18-0).
Sat. ESPN 7:30 p.m. Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1) vs Oscar Valdez (32-2); Rafael Espinoza (25-0) vs Robeisy Ramirez (14-2).
Photo credit: Melina Pizano / Matchroom
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The IBHOF Unveils its Newest Inductees: Manny Pacquiao is the Icing on the Cake
The IBHOF Unveils its Newest Inductees: Manny Pacquiao is the Icing on the Cake
PRESS RELEASE — CANASTOTA, NY – DECEMBER 5, 2024 – The International Boxing Hall of Fame and Museum is thrilled to announce the newest class of inductees to be honored during the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend June 5-8, 2025 in “Boxing’s Hometown” Canastota, NY.
The Class of 2025 includes Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao, “The Pazmanian Devil” Vinny Paz and Michael “Second To” Nunn in the Men’s Modern category; Yessica “Kika” Chavez, Anne Sophie Mathis and Mary Jo Sanders in the Women’s Modern category; Cathy “Cat” Davis in the Women’s Trailblazer category; referee Kenny Bayless, cut man Al Gavin (posthumous) and referee Harry Gibbs (posthumous) in the Non-Participant category; broadcaster / journalist Randy Gordon and television producer Ross Greenburg in the Observer category; Rodrigo Valdez (posthumous) in the Old Timer category and Owen Swift (posthumous) in the Pioneer category.
Inductees were voted in by members of the Boxing Writers Association of America and a panel of international boxing historians.
“We’re extremely excited about the Class of 2025 and are very much looking forward to honoring the newest class of inductees to earn boxing’s highest honor,” said Executive Director Edward Brophy.
The 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend is scheduled for June 5-8th in “Boxing’s Hometown.” Many events will take place in Canastota and nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino throughout the four-day celebration including ringside talks, fist casting, fight night, 5K race / fun run, boxing autograph card show, banquet, parade and induction ceremony.
For more information on the 2025 Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, please call (315) 697-7095.
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Navarrete-Valdez and Espinoza-Ramirez Rematches Headline Phoenix Fight Fiesta
The annals of boxing abound with iconic rematches, and there’s a good chance that list will get longer after this Saturday in Phoenix’s Footprint Center with Top Rank’s ESPN card featuring Emanuel Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) versus Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) and Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs, against Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs).
Valdez’s ties to the local area and multiple Arizona appearances give his bout against Navarrete top billing, but WBO featherweight titlist Espinoza’s initial encounter with Ramirez was the better bout the first time around, deemed Fight and Upset of the Year by many observers.
That’s not to say Navarrete-Valdez 1 didn’t hold plenty of drama as Navarrete captured the WBO junior lightweight belt with a relatively widespread unanimous decision. Valdez got himself into an immediate bind in the first fight by walking into Navarrete’s jab, enabling Navarrete to score early with looping right leads from his six-inch reach advantage. Valdez’s corner implored him to stay patient but it seemed there was no avoiding a firefight that played into Navarette’s always busy hands.
By round 3 Valdez’s face was heavily marked and often on the defensive, waiting to establish an offense that never fully arrived. Though he scored with some big shots down the stretch, his swollen right eye closed by the 9th frame and the eventual outcome seemed obvious.
“I know there’s a lot of pride at stake in a Mexico versus Mexico battle,” said Navarrete. “I believe this will be an even better fight than before because we’re familiar with each other. I know I have to push Valdez to his limits.”
“I made mistakes the first time, the biggest one was trying to knock him out,” reflected Valdez. “I still have a few fights left in me, not everyone gets a second chance. I know what I needed to train for (this time) and I’ll make the most of it.”
Offense was never a problem for either Espinoza or Ramirez, who traded knockdowns in a give-and-take affair that might have gone either way. It was the gloved-up version of mongoose versus cobra as two time Olympic gold medalist Ramirez charged in behind blurring punches up the middle while the much taller Espinoza fired shoulder level combinations. In this case, it was the underdog cobra who triumphed.
Three days from first bell an unofficial consensus of online odds listed the previous winners as favorites, Espinoza by a hair and Navarrete by a solid margin. While the initial winners may still have an edge, that all disappears after the bell, and previous action indicates a pair of pick-em contests isn’t unlikely.
Boxing history is also full of tie-breaking trilogies, too. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if that’s what we’re looking at again in both these cases.
Adding to the electric atmosphere in Phoenix are a solid batch of undercard extras featuring multiple first-rate performers that should get the audience more than ready for the night’s headliners.
Top Rank junior welterweight prospect Lindolfo Delgado, 21-0 (15) from Nuevo Leon, meets skilled Dominican Jackson Marinez, 22-3 (10) in a contest that could qualify as main event worthy in many locales.
Undefeated southpaw heavyweight Richard Torrez, Jr, who earned the silver medal in that division for the USA at the 2020 Olympics faces off against Mexican big boy Issac Munoz Gutierrez, 18-1-1 (15) who reportedly packs a respectable wallop. None of Torrez’s pro opponents have made it to the final bell.
San Diego’s highly ranked welterweight title challenger Giovani Santillan, 31-1 (17) faces Fredrick Lawson of Ghana, 30-5 (22). Lawson has dropped his last two outings but that was against good opposition and he won’t be an easy test.
21 year-old DJ Zamora, a hot prospect at 13-0 (9) from Las Vegas meets experienced Roman Reynoso, 22-5-2 (10), from Argentina and emerging new stablemate Albert “Chop Chop” Gonzalez, 11-0 (7), who recently signed a long term Top Rank contract faces Gerardo Antonio Perez, 12-6-1 (3).
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