Evaluating Canelo Alvarez's fights in five-bout segments since he hit the big-time

LAS VEGAS -- It's always wisest to consider the big picture, and when we do that in Canelo Alvarez's case, it's clear that few active boxers have regularly challenged themselves the way Alvarez has during a career which will land him in the International Boxing Hall of Fame when he's through.

Alvarez will defend his super middleweight title against Edgar Berlanga on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in a bout that has been widely panned by anyone who is not an Alvarez lap dog.

Berlanga simply isn't ready for the kind of challenge Alvarez presents. He's 22-0 with 17 knockouts, but he's as much a product of astute matchmaking as he is a legitimate world title contender.

The problem with Alvarez, though, is that in recent years, there have been too many Berlanga-type opponents on the record. It's almost hard to forget that it was Alvarez who challenged himself in 2022 by moving up to light heavyweight to face a prime Dmitry Bivol. Or that when he was still fresh behind the ears 23-year-old and he challenged himself against Floyd Mayweather.

He fought opponents like Erislandy Lara and Austin Trout who were difficult matches that he didn't have to take on.

Among his 61-2-2 record, he's met three opponents -- Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto -- who are already enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Among those he's fought who are not yet eligible, Gennadiy Golovkin is a slam dunk to be elected. But among the others who at least will receive serious consideration he's faced are Bivol, Sergiy Kovaley, Daniel Jacobs and Lara.

Alvarez has faced an impressive list of opponents. His level of opposition has dropped in recent times, though, so I thought it might be a good point to break down Alvarez's opponents in five-bout segments since he hit what might be reasonable considered the big leagues.

So I'll start my evaluation with his bout against Jose Cotto on May 1, 2010, at the MGM Grand. Alvarez was still only 19 at the time but he brought a 31-0-1 record into that bout against Cotto, who was 33 years old and 31-1-1 at the time. 

I'll rate each five-bout segment from that point forward on a 1-to-10 scale based the quality of the opposition at the time of their meeting, particularly relative to where Alvarez was in his development at that time. I'll rate him on his performance in the bout and the significance of the match.

Bouts May 1, 2010, through March 5, 2011

Quality of opposition: 8

Performance: 10

Significance: 8

Total: 26 of 30

This is where Alvarez started to regularly face opponents who could actually fight back and were a challenge to him. Jose Cotto was never nearly as talented as his younger brother, Miguel, but he was a crafty veteran who knew how to fight and had plenty of experience. Alvarez stamped himself a future superstar at this point. He won a world title by decisioning Hatton in a one-sided decision over 12 rounds.

Bouts June 18, 2011, through Sept. 15, 2012

Quality of opposition: 8

Performance: 10

Significance: 9

Total: 27 of 30

Alvarez made five successful defenses of his super welterweight title in this period. Mosley was near the end and entered the bout 0-2-1 in his last three, with losses to Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao sandwiched around a draw with Sergio Mora. But he was still vastly more experienced than Alvarez, who acquitted himself excellently.

Bouts April 20, 2013, through May 9, 2015

Quality of opposition: 9

Performance: 9

Significance: 10

Total: 28 of 30

Alvarez went 4-1 in this stretch, getting schooled by Mayweather in a bout that would help take Alvarez to another level. Trout was at his peak at that stage and Lara was a difficult opponent nobody wanted to fight. Alvarez took him on willingly and despite some difficulties, pulled it out. Angulo and Kirkland were past their primes, and were little more than punching bags, but Alvarez did when elite fighters face that kind of opposition.

Bouts Nov. 21, 2015, through Sept. 16, 2017

Quality of opposition: 9.5

Performance: 9.5

Significance: 10

Total: 29 of 30

The win over Cotto was a milestone in Alvarez's career, as it gave him a second weight-class title, claiming the middleweight belt. While Khan was perceived to be too small, all five men he fought in this stretch were either champions or former champions. Cotto is in the Hall of Fame and Golovkin soon will be. And though he got a question draw against Golovkin, it was a compelling bout between two of the elite superstars in the game.

Bouts Sept. 15, 2018, through Dec. 19, 2020

Quality of opposition: 9

Performance: 10

Significance: 9

Total: 28 of 30

Alvarez was suspended for testing positive for clenbuterol, which he said came from eating contaminated meat. That pushed his rematch with Golovkin back to September, but he performed brilliantly and got the victory. He moved up to super middleweight to decimate a vastly overmatched Fielding. Jacobs was a solid win at middleweight then he jumped to light heavyweight to meet Kovalev. Kovalev was at the end of the line, but Alvarez performed well and finished him.

Bouts Feb. 27, 2021 through Sept. 17, 2022

Quality of opposition: 7.5

Performance: 8.5

Significance: 8

Total: 24 of 30

Yildirim was the mandatory, so Alvarez had to take the fight or be stripped. Since he was trying to unify the middleweight belts, he was forced into it. But Yildirim was awful, had no business in the ring with Alvarez, and quit on his stool. He was brilliant in dominating Saunders, and did a great job against a very tough plant. He lost a bid for another light heavyweight belt when Bivol outboxed him, and he closed this segment by dominating a shell of the great champion Golovkin once was.

Bouts May 6, 2023, through present

Quality of opposition: 5.5

Performance: 7.5

Significance: 6

Total: 19 of 30

These were all lay-ups for Alvarez. Ryder was not in Alvarez's class, but this was understandable because Alvarez wanted to fight at home in Guadalajara, Mexico, and the economics couldn't support a mega-fight. Charlo was the super welterweight champion moving up two weight classes, and he fought timidly. Munguia was moving up from middleweight. Berlanga is a massive underdog, a disappointing choice when potential bouts with David Benavidez or Terence Crawford were makable.

Alvarez has been cruising the last four fights and not challenging himself. No one is saying he has to take on the absolute toughest opposition every time out, but if he insists he's No. 1 pound-for-pound and wants to charge $90 for the pay-per-view, as he's doing, it's outrageous he's facing such less-than-stellar opposition.