WBC and WBA middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 50-1-2 (34) is headed for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, according to his promoter Oscar De La Hoya.
The ‘Golden Boy’ made the comments to Fightnews during the grand arrivals of Alvarez and his opponent Rocky Fielding who will clash at Madison Square Garden in New York for the Brit’s WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight title this Saturday night.
“Canelo is motivated,” said The Golden Boy. “He wants to fight the best, he wants to fight here in New York, he wants to fight in Mexico and he wants to fight all over the world.
“He is young, only 28 years old. He learns more with each fight, he has a great team with Eddy Reynoso and Chepo he is getting better and better.
“Canelo will be in Canastota one day, no doubt about it. Even if he retires today he will be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He likes challenges, he wants to make history. That’s why he is fighting at 168. He wants to win a title in his third division.”
De La Hoya, who retired in 2008 with a record of 39-6 (30), was himself inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame at Canastota in 2014. The popular Los Angeles fighter capped a 223-5 (153) amateur career by capturing the lightweight gold at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.
As a pro De La Hoya would go on to win world titles in six different weight classes, ranging from super featherweight right through to middleweight. During his storied career he fought memorable battles with ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley, Felix Trinidad, Bernard Hopkins, Arturo Gatti, Manny Pacquiao, Pernell Whittaker, Julio Cesar Chavez, Fernando Vargas and Ike Quartey, amongst others.
In 2007 the 34-year-old De La Hoya lost a razor-thin split decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr in defence of his WBC junior middleweight title.
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