There have been many opinions as to why Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez lost his clash in the ring against Terence Crawford. However, few have been as clear as the one now given by former boxer Juan Manuel Marquez, an expert on the subject who gave his point of view in detail. He highlighted what kind of strategy was used, the key reasons and the elements that were missing in the fighter from Guadalajara.
Canelo Alvarez’s recent defeat to Terence Crawford has prompted a wave of criticism and analysis throughout the boxing world. The Mexican superstar, who fell short in his defense of his undisputed super middleweight crown, looked vulnerable against an opponent who boldly jumped up two weight classes to challenge him in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
“Canelo lacked combinations” – Juan Manuel Marquez
Both fans and pundits were taken aback by Crawford’s performance and tactics exposed gaps in strategy and execution, leading to one of the most scrutinized fights of Canelo’s career. Among those sharing sharp insights is Juan Manuel Marquez, a former world champion and one of boxing’s most respected tacticians.
Marquez knows what it takes to overcome elite opponents, and was blunt in assessing Canelo’s shortcomings. Reflecting on the fight, Marquez told Izquierdazo: “Canelo Alvarez lacked strategy, he lacked a corner, so to speak. He needed a little more guidance, something like: ‘Don’t just throw power shots, throw combinations. Crawford is hitting you, counterpunch too“.
Don’t just throw power shots, throw combinations
He continued: “Canelo counter-attacks well, so in that sense he needed a bit more strategy, a proper game plan. Maybe they were too confident that weight would be a deciding factor, that power punches alone would do the job. But the strategy was lacking”. It is still unknown what Canelo will do after this defeat, who he will fight against, how long he will fight or who will be able to replace him.
Christian ‘Chispa’ Medina or Rafael ‘Divino’ Espinoza, possible replacements for Canelo
In an interview with Izquierdazo, Juan Manuel Marquez said that the boxer Christian ‘Chispa’ Medina, who has just become world champion, or Rafael ‘Divino’ Espinoza are two of the boxers who can take the place of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez when he retires to be the new figure of Mexican boxing. This is what the former fighter said about these young figures.
“There is, for example, a new champion, Chispa Medina. There is Rafael ‘Divino’ Espinoza, who for me has what it takes to be the face of boxing, he has good rivals in the featherweight division and if he jumps to super featherweight,” Marquez said. Both national fighters are world champions by the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Christian Medina holds the title in the bantamweight division, while Divino Espinoza holds the title in the featherweight category.
Espinoza became world champion on December 9, 2023, when he defeated Robeisy Ramirez in what was a very intense fight. After 12 intense rounds, the Mexican took the victory after the judges gave him the victory by majority decision. Medina was crowned world champion on September 14 when he defeated Japan’s Yoshiki Takei by technical knockout.
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