What is next for Canelo Alvarez?

May 4 saw one of boxing’s brightest stars take center stage as Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went to battle against the always tough and skilled Daniel Jacobs. While Canelo Alvarez took the unanimous decision victory, he had to work for it as Daniel Jacobs gave him all he could handle during the twelve round affair.

With so much leather flying and the Middleweight belt on the line, both men pushed the pace for a pretty exciting fight. So what did we learn from this pivotal Middleweight clash and what comes next for Canelo Alvarez? Let’s take a look at highlights of the fight before delving into the analysis.

Fighting In The Pocket

For the most part, Canelo Alvarez was able to control the center of the ring during the entire match due mostly to his brilliant head movement and counter punching in the pocket. Alvarez does his best work when he controls the center of the ring and with his sharp eyes and intelligent head movement, he was able to control the fight.

For every missed jab and cross on Jacobs’ part, Canelo Alvarez answered back with sharp hooks to the head and body. His jab was also a key tool, Alvarez mixing things up to the head and body to set up some powerful follow up shots.

Worthy Adversaries

We also learned that Daniel Jacobs was a worthy adversary. His bout with Gennady Golovkin showcased Jacobs’ will and determination to push forward even after tasting the canvas. This battle with Alvarez also showcased an undying will and hunger for victory as Daniel Jacobs pushed forward throughout the fight.

More body work could have helped secure rounds for Jacobs during the middle rounds. He also gave away the center of the ring a bit too much allowing Alvarez to feel comfortable in his preferred range. But it didn’t go all Alvarez’s way, which leads to the next point…

Back Against The Ropes

While he may be a brilliant boxer with powerful countering punching ability, imperfections in Canelo Alvarez’s game still remain. Canelo Alvarez still finds himself at times with his back against the ropes. While it can be argued that this is tactic for the boxer to regain his stamina while allowing his opponent to punch themselves out, Alvarez sustained the most damage in the fight when his back was against the ropes.

For now, Alvarez’s ring generalship and awareness has allowed him to avoid consistent damage while having his back against the ropes. But there could come a time when such tactics come back to bite him.

Future Challenges

Right now the sky is the limit for Canelo Alvarez who is the recognized lineal Middleweight champion of the world. Future fights for Alvarez could include a showdown with old foe Gennady Golovkin in September, but by the sounds of things, it seems like his focus is elsewhere.

Canelo Alvarez wants to unify all the belts in the Middleweight division and to do that he’ll have to battle Demetrius Andrade for the WBO Middleweight title. Demetrius Andrade has a bout in June against challenger Maciej Sulęcki in his home town of Providence, Rhode Island. Should he defend his belt, Demetrius Andrade could be prepared to take on Canelo Alvarez in September later this year.

What do you think of the battle between Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs?

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