Canelo Alvarez has been moved down to the #1 spot in The Ring’s super middleweight (168) rankings after his loss to Terence Crawford on September 13. As such, Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) is now The Ring champion.
How Low Should Canelo Go?
It would make more sense for Canelo (63-3-2, 39 KOs) to have been moved way down further in the ratings because of how poor he looked in his 12-round unanimous decision defeat against Bud at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The Ring Super-Middleweight Rankings
C: Terence Crawford (Champion)
1: Canelo Alvarez
2: Osleys Iglesias
3: Christian Mbilli
4: Lester Martinez
5: Diego Pacheco
6: Armando Resendiz
7: Caleb Plant
8: Hamzah Sheeraz
9: Bruno Surace
10: William Scull
Nation Vegas’ Verdict: Drop Him
Losing that fight shouldn’t result in Canelo, 35, being placed at #1. That seems a weird move, more about popularity than an accurate measure of where the Mexican star deserves to be. The truth is, Alvarez didn’t fight well, and neither did Crawford. Neither fighter showed that they were high-level fighters in that so-called ‘Fight of the Century.’
In other sports, when you lose, you don’t get placed at #1. So, if we want boxing to be seen as a legitimate sport rather than a popularity contest, Canelo should be put lower in the pack.
I ranked Canelo at #8 in the super middleweight rankings because many younger fighters in the top 10 Ring rankings would have beaten him worse than Crawford did on that night.
Iglesias Deserves the #1 Spot
C: Terence Crawford (Champion)
1: Osleys Iglesias
2: Christian Mbilli
3: Lester Martinez
4: Diego Pacheco
5: Armando Resendiz
6: Hamzah Sheeraz
7: William Scull
8: Canelo Alvarez
9: Caleb Plant
10: Bruno Surace
Scull Showed More Than Crawford
The way Canelo looked against Crawford, he’d come undone against Iglesias, Mbilli, Lester, Pacheco, Resendiz, Sheeraz, and Scull. I know he beat Scull last May by a 12-round unanimous decision, but the Cuban showed talent in that fight that showed me that he was more than capable of winning a rematch.
When Scull was standing his ground and fighting Canelo, he looked more impressive than Crawford with his power, hand speed, and combination punching. Scull is a diamond in the rough.
Written by Nation Vegas, a Boxing Analyst covering world title fights since 2013.
Last Updated on 10/01/2025
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