Canelo Alvarez Does Not Make the Cut in Roy Jones Jr.’s Top 3 Mexican Boxers of All Time

Just a few days ago, Canelo Alvarez revealed three names. They were Mexican boxers, his all-time favorites. Later on Saturday, May 4, many saw the undisputed super middleweight champion school a young challenger. The latter shook him a bit during the initial rounds. But it didn’t take much time for Alvarez to let Jaime Munguia and the rest of the world know who ruled the roost. After his second career loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022, the Mexican superstar remains successful in four consecutive outings. During the in-ring post-fight interview, he said, “I’m the best fighter [in the world] right now, for sure.”

But has the victory taken him closer to the pantheon, where the names of Mexico’s greatest boxers are enshrined in golden letters? No, at least boxing great Roy Jones Jr. doesn’t seem to believe so. He believes Canelo Alvarez still has a lot of miles to cover before he reaches those hallowed premises. According to Jones Jr., the top three places are already filled with three legends who brought laurels not only for themselves but also for their country.

DAZN Boxing and Whistlesports raised a poser through an Instagram post. “Is Canelo Alvarez the greatest Mexican boxer ever? Roy Jones Jr. says, not yet!” The first slide of the accompanying attachment displayed photographs of Alvarez against Salvador Sanchez. It featured the question, “Who is the greatest Mexican boxer?!”

The second slide contained a montage of pictures and old clips with a voiceover message. “Is Canelo Alvarez the best Mexican boxer ever?” asked the narrator. Then they soon added. A boxing great believes that the undisputed super middleweight champion may not find a mention even among the top three.

Roy Jones Jr. shared that a select group of Mexican boxers is way better than Canelo Alvarez. But who are those distinguished boxers?

Mexico’s Ring Royalty: Roy Jones Jr.

“His number one is Salvador Sanchez, aka ‘The Invincible Eagle’, who is a featherweight champion and a Boxing Hall of Famer,” the narrator said. Sanchez passed away at a very young age. He was just 23 when he died in a road accident. But he left behind a legacy that is still talked about to this day. His professional career lasted barely seven years, from May 4, 1975, to July 21, 1982. But the time period saw him become the WBC and Ring featherweight champion in 1980.

He defended the titles nine times, right up to his last bout against Azumah Nelson. At the time of his death, Sanchez’s record stood at 44 wins against one loss and one draw. Many fans and experts believe that had Salvador Sanchez’s life not been cut short so early, he would have become the greatest featherweight in boxing history.

The voiceover shared, “At number two, he (Roy Jones Jr.) has Julio Cesar Chavez, who had an insane run of 87 straight wins between the years 1980 and 1993.” With 107 wins against only 6 losses and 2 draws, Julio Cesar Chavez was really ‘The Caesar of Boxing’. The winner of multiple championships across three divisions, the Mexican great has many accomplishments under his belt. The most cited one remains his outstanding winning streak. It commenced with his professional debut and lasted until January 29, 1994. He finally lost his first fight to Frankie Randall. Along with a draw he secured against Pernell Whitaker the year before, his record read 89 wins against 1 loss and 1 draw. From 1990 to 1993, Chavez was the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world.

The two-time recipient of the ‘Fight of the Year’ award stands 17th on BoxRec’s best boxers of all-time list, pound for pound.

The final name on Roy Jones Jr.’s list was that of Marco Antonio Barrera. Many fans remember him as the one who defeated the enigma Prince Naseem Hamed. But for a few others, it’s all about the trilogy fights with archrival Eric Morales. Though he suffered seven losses in a career lasting two decades, the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’ went on to win championships in three different classes. In 2017, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

In the end, the narrator stated that, though Canelo Alvarez is himself a four-division champion, he still has time to make it up to the topmost echelons. The debate on who is the greatest Mexican boxer of all time will continue.

Do you agree with Roy Jones Jr.’s list? If not, then please let us know who you feel should be the top three greatest Mexican boxers of all time.