Rolando ‘Rolly’ Romero slammed Canelo Alvarez in an interview, saying that his fight against 147-pounder Terence Crawford is an example of how the Mexican star is cashing out before retirement.
Is Canelo Chasing Money?
He says Canelo is only fighting to “make a pretty penny,” and doesn’t care about his legacy. Romero adds that Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) should be fighting David Benavidez, not Crawford. Rolly thinks Canelo and others like him are hurting the sport by focusing on money.
“This isn’t a cash out for Canelo?” said Rolly about Canelo Alvarez’s fight against Terence Crawford. “At least Crawford is fighting for the legacy. Canelo is fighting a 147-pounder. Does that not sound like he’s trying to cash out?” said Rolando ‘Roly’ Romero to Seconds Out Boxing.
It does seem obvious that Canelo is cashing out with the fight against 147-pounder Crawford. But Alvarez has been on one long cash-out tour since 2022. That defeat against Dmitry Bivol changed Canelo, transforming him into a fighter who focuses on easy gimme fights for paydays.
Look at Canelo’s opposition since his loss to Bivol:
– William Scull
– Edgar Berlanga
– Jaime Munguia
– Jermell Charlo: 154-pounder
– John Ryder
– Gennadiy Golovkin: 40 years old for the trilogy in 2022
Romero: Canelo Dodges Benavidez
“He’s trying to do everything he can to make a pretty penny. He’s not fighting for legacy. Why didn’t he fight [David] Benavidez? Why didn’t he fight Benavidez? That’s legacy. That’s the fight that everyone has been asking for. Nobody in the world asked for Crawford. Everybody has been asking for Benavidez for how many years now?”
Benavidez is the fight that Canelo should be taking instead of fighting an aging 147-pounder, pushing 40, coming off a year-long layoff and a lackluster performance in his debut at 154. Canelo should have shown some courage and fought ‘The Mexican Monster’ Benavidez five years ago. What Alvarez should have done is tell Turki Alalshikh that he’s NOT interested in fighting Crawford, and that he wants Benavidez on September 13th in Las Vegas.
There’s no problem with Crawford fighting Canelo, but he should have had to move up to 168 and gone through these three trials by fire tests to show he’s worthy:
- David Benavidez
- David Morrell
- Christian Mbilli
“These guys are all overpaid. They don’t deserve it. Canelo’s case is a little bit different than the other ones because at least he sells tickets and pay-per-views. I hope Crawford knocks him out cold just because he’s disrespectful to the sport. Crawford, at least, is taking a really big risk.”
Canelo’s $150M Crawford Spectacle
It’s hard not to agree with Rolly about Crawford being the one taking a risk and fighting with a real purpose on September 13th. He’s moving up three divisions for legacy, trying to put himself on the Mount Rushmore of boxing to become the #1 all-time great. The only thing Canelo is fighting for is the reported $150 million check he’ll receive for the spectacle.
Last Updated on 07/01/2025
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