By Jack Tanner
Copyright independent
Ryan Garcia has raised question marks over Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s intensity ahead of his mega-clash with Terence Crawford this weekend.
A two-time undisputed champion at super middleweight, Canelo has established himself as the ‘face of boxing’ with wins over many big names, but the Mexican has faced claims he has lost his power in recent years.
Currently on a streak of seven fights without a knockout, Canelo last ended a fight early when he stopped Caleb Plant in 2021.
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Speaking on Inside the Ring, Garcia shared: “My problem with Canelo is his intensity. He doesn’t have the same intensity that he used to have, and I think that’s going to be the biggest issue for me.
“Can he still counter punch? Yes. Can he still be slick? Yes. But does he have the energy and the intensity that he used to have when he was younger, or at least when he fought Caleb Plant, to be honest, his last great performance.”
In defence of Canelo, the Mexican has dished out four knockdowns in his last five fights, with only his most recent opponent, the punch-shy William Scull, evading a trip to the canvas.
In 63 wins, Canelo has found 39 stoppages, including a run of three knockouts as he completely unified the 168lbs division in 2021.
Garcia also made reference to Canelo’s defeat by Dmitry Bivol in 2022, when Alvarez stepped up to light heavyweight to challenge one of boxing’s pound-for-pound stars.
‘King Ry’ believes that if Crawford can force Canelo into expending more effort, he might tire Alvarez out.
He added: “It’s like is he going to be able to have that second, third effort? Because that’s the problem he has. When Bivol gave him like three extra movements and three extra shots, Canelo ended up doing weird defensive moves that got him out of position.”
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