Promoter Bob Arum has hit out at Mexican champion Saul Canelo Alvarez, who he said has become “a businessman” rather than a boxer, more interested in getting paid than in looking for attractive fights for boxing fans.
For Arum, Canelo has not compensated for what the fans have invested in recent years with his money-focused approach. He avoided the only fighter the fans asked him to fight, David Benavidez, and instead offered secondary fights at a premium price, reported boxingnews24.com.
Canelo’s choices that have damaged his image
Canelo’s selection of opponents and rejection of talented contenders has hurt his popularity. Some fans compare his performance to that of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his later years in the sport, as he carefully selected many fighters with no chance of beating him.
However, sometimes he took risks against Manny Pacquiao, after making him wait six years, and against Miguel Cotto, but Arun expressed that Canelo is not doing any of that, especially after the loss against Dmitry Bivol in 2022.
“Bob Arum said this week that he sees Canelo very differently than he did before. Canelo was an elite pound-for-pound talent, a guy who was taking on everything. Now, Bob Arum says he sees Canelo more as a businessman,” said Chris Mannix on his YouTube channel.
“Many people have been saying similar things since Canelo decided not to fight David Benavidez. Is Canelo a boxer or a businessman?” he added.
Bob Arum’s change of heart about Canelo
For the great experts, it was a bad decision for Alvarez not to accept the fight with Benavidez as it made him look cowardly, weak and protective of his resume, something an elite boxer cannot afford.
Arum changed his opinion of Canelo after seeing him avoid Benavidez for years and take easier fights. Alvarez was in his early 30s when Benavidez began calling him out four years ago.
“I agree with Bob Arum. I think he’s more of a businessman than a boxer, but that’s what happens when you’re a PPV star,” said boxing analyst Sergio Mora.
“When you’re as veteran as Canelo, at 35 years old and with more than 65 fights as a professional, I think he earned the right to choose whoever he wants at this stage of his career. And if they choose him on the right date, I think the fans will support him. Fans will always support PPV stars.”
Arum refers to Canelo on a long retirement tour, charging his fans to watch him take risk-free fights, which has cost him the image he had when he occasionally fought the best.
Even when Canelo was at his best, he was still calculating in his decisions. He chose to fight many of the best fighters when they were already finished and posed no threat.
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