Canelo Alvarez is using #1 WBA-ranked middleweight contender Yoenli Hernandez in addition to Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis as two of his sparring partners to prepare for his title defense of his undisputed super middleweight championship against Terence Crawford on September 13th.
Canelo’s Sparring Partners
Hernandez (8-0, 7 KOs) was born in Cuba and won a gold medal at the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships. He finished his amateur career with a 61-12 record. Hernandez, 28, is a pressure fighter with heavy hands who wears down his opponents with power shots.
The use of Hernandez and ‘Boots’ Ennis as sparring partners is an indication of how serious Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) is taking his fight against the smaller, older Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs). The 6’2″ Hernandez is a bigger fighter and appears more powerful than the 5’9″ Crawford. For Canelo to be using Hernandez, that points to him planning to walk Terence down, throwing power shots to wear him out.
“If his [Crawford] legs get tired and he stays there, Canelo is going to [finish him]. The only thing with Canelo these days is his knees aren’t like they used to be,” said trainer Jose Benavidez Sr. to MillCity Boxing, pointing out that the 35-year-old Canelo Alvarez’s mobility has deteriorated with age from a long career going into his title defense of his four 168-lb titles against Terence Crawford on September 13.
Canelo’s low punch stats against William Scull earlier this year on May 3, 2025, were a red flag for fans and the media that he’s showing signs of decline at 35.
Canelo-Scull punch stats
- Canelo Alvarez: 56 punches landed of 152 for 36.8%
- William Scull: 55 of 293 for 18.8%
The Wear and Tear of a Career
Former trainer Teddy Atlas said after the fight that he suspects that Canelo’s performance against Scull indicated he could be showing signs of deterioration due to his age.
“Canelo might be on the decline because of his age. You saw it in the Scull fight—he wasn’t as aggressive, didn’t have that same fire. Maybe it’s motivation, maybe it’s wear,” said Atlas on his YouTube channel.
“Canelo has had a lot of fights. He’s worn out a lot through the training camps, and a lot of hard work and a lot of fights. That’s what happens to a lot of fighters. They wear out in the gym, not in the fights. He’s not the same to me anymore. He doesn’t throw combinations. He tries to look for one shot,” said Jose Sr. about Saul Alvarez.
Canelo has been in the pro ranks for 20 years, since 2005. He’s fought these notable fighters during his long career:
Gennadiy Golovkin x 3
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Miguel Cotto
Dmitry Bivol
Daniel Jacobs
Callum Smith
Jermell Charlo
Caleb Plant
Sergey Kovalev
Shane Mosley
Edgar Berlanga
Jaime Munguia
Erislandy Lara
Austin Trout
Of those names, Canelo has only lost to Bivol and Mayweather. However, he’s still taken shots from those fighters in those bouts, and he’s been through tough training camps in preparation for his fights throughout his career.
Is He Still Motivated?
“He can’t close the distance no more. He can’t close the gaps. He can’t chase the people like he used to chase, and break them down and hurt them. I think he’s not the same anymore. I don’t see anything really special anymore, no more than what he used to. He used to throw uppercuts, body shots, and he used to be super aggressive, too. Now, he’s more relaxed and not the same motivation. When you have to much money as he has, I don’t know what motivates you,” said Benavidez Sr. about Canelo.
Fans noted that Canelo didn’t display a sense of urgency to walk down his last two opponents, William Scull and Edgar Berlanga, as he would have if he had fought those fighters earlier in his career when he was younger.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Canelo’s fortune is estimated at $300 million. Reports suggest that Alvarez’s purse for the Crawford fight is $150 million. With that kind of a fortune, it would feed into Benavidez Jr’s belief that Canelo lacks the same hunger and ambition that he once had due to his immense wealth.
Last Updated on 08/26/2025
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