Insatiable work ethic and desire to be great keeps Canelo Alvarez at the top of his profession

Canelo Alvarez has reached a point in his career where not only his fights themselves are massive events, but so, too, is the speculation around the identity of his next opponent.

He'll defend the undisputed super middleweight title against Jaime Munguia on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but stop for a moment and think of the firestorm that was created a couple of weeks back as he worked to put together his next match: Would it be Jermall Charlo? David Benavidez? Perhaps, some people speculated, he'd fight pound-for-pound king Terence Crawford. Others thought it might be Edgar Berlanga. There was even sentiment for a while that it might be a rematch with Dmitry Bivol.

That nonstop noise is a testament to what this man has accomplished in more than 18 years as a professional boxer. 

He's 33, and if he's slipped, it's only a little. He not only dominated Jermell Charlo in his last outing, on Sept. 30 in Las Vegas, but he also thoroughly intimidated a guy who was a good enough professional to win the undisputed super welterweight title. Anyone who saw that fight, though, recognized that Charlo wasn't eager to engage, was happy to make it to the finish upright and clearly had been thoroughly intimated by the thought of engaging with Alvarez.

He remains at that lofty perch after earning hundreds of millions of dollars in his career, at a point in his life when he could easily pursue his passion for golf and travel. He could get out and play 36 every day, enjoy the finest foods, and no one could blame him.

But he's fighting a feisty, hungry, and aggressive if not defensively flawed opponent on May 4 not because he wants the check but because he's one of the few who still loves the work. He has the desire to be great and understands greatness starts alone in the shadows, under the cover of darkness, running on the roads in the cold and the rain and the wind at ungodly hours.

Boxing is the ultimate truth-teller, and if one has taken shortcuts in training camp, it's bound to show up under the lights when the first bell rings.

The late great former middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler said it best years ago when he noted, "It's tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 a.m. when you've been sleeping in silk pajamas."

The ones who hit legendary status are the few whose desire to be great still burns as brightly with millions in the bank as it did when they were receiving overdraft notices from the bank.

Muhammad Ali was preternaturally talented, but 'The Greatest' was under no illusions as to what it took to become a legend.

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion,' " Ali said.

And that's how Alvarez operates. He's fought a who's who of the greatest boxers in his division for more than a decade now, and while some aren't satisfied with his choice of Munguia as his May 4 opponent, Alvarez has clearly earned the benefit of the doubt.

"Defending my undisputed title is very important for me," Alvarez said. "This is all about making history. I want my legacy to be that I made history again and again. That’s what motivates me to keep defending my belts and giving great fights to the fans."

Every great fighter, from Sugar Ray Robinson to Floyd Mayweather, from Sugar Ray Leonard to Mike Tyson, from Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. to Larry Holmes, suffers the ravages of Father Time. Time will catch up to everyone eventually, period, end of story.

But the elite of the elite manage to outlast it longer than others because of the way they grind. Mayweather was a brilliant talent and was taught the defensive principles at an early age that made him a master and accounted for some of his longevity. But if you ask anyone who knows him and has been around him, it was his insatiable work ethic that set him apart.

That's where Alvarez shines, too. He'll push himself to the extreme when he prepares for Munguia, a good but not great fighter. Alvarez will prepare for Munguia as if he's set to meet a prime and highly motivated Hagler.

That's why Alvarez remains atop the game, and will a few years more. He's talented, yes, and he's well-trained, but it's his desire to torture his body to chase greatness that has not only made him an iconic figure in his sport, but keeps him one, as well.