The loss came at the hands of a familiar pair of gloves. But the way things stand, Mexico appears to have outdone its big neighbor, the United States, at the Paris Olympics. In the welterweight finals, Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez lost the bout to Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev. Earlier, the Uzbek had secured a split-decision victory over Omari Jones in the semifinals. Nevertheless, this is a feat worth celebrating for the country, which has thus far amassed five medals—three silvers and two bronzes—as the curtains draw on the summer games. No prizes for guessing; the biggest voice in boxing in Mexico would be quick to laud his compatriot for such an accomplishment.

Canelo Alvarez took to his Instagram story to express his happiness over Marco Alvarez’s performance. The super middleweight champion, who had to part with his undisputed championship not so long ago, will be back in the ring next month for the year’s second fight. He will face Edgar Berlanga to defend his unified titles.

Canelo Alvarez pays tribute to Mexican Boxing’s Rising Star

Speaking in Spanish, Canelo Alvarez expressed his gratitude and congratulated the young welterweight. “Gracias por poner el nombre del boxeo mexicano en alto,” said Alvarez on his Instagram story, which roughly translates to “Thank you for putting the name of Mexican boxing up.” The story was linked to the post from the National Olympic Committee of Mexico.

Their message read, “With an indomitable spirit, Marco has hung up the silver medal for Mexico in Paris 2024. Their triumph is a reflection of the passion and effort of all Mexicans.” Marco Alvarez, whose father is also an Olympian, started his campaign on August 1. He faced Tiago Muxanga in the round of 16. It was a tough bout. Though he won, he had to split the scores with the Mozambique fighter. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Nishant Dev. After ceding the first round to the Indian, ‘Green’ took over in the second and outboxed Dev completely in the third.

The semifinals saw Marco Alvarez once again pitted against a tough opponent. In the second round, Lewis Richardson doubled back but to no avail. Still out of the five, two judges favored him over the Mexican. However, the remaining three deemed Alvarez the better boxer. The 22-year-old finally found a berth in the final round for the gold. Unfortunately, the match with Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev didn’t go the way he might have wished for. ‘Green’ managed to win the third round, but it was too little, too late. The Uzbek boxer had by the time impressed all five judges in his favor.

The long road to Olympic glory

Nonetheless, the way Marco Alvarez made it to the finals through sheer grit and determination deserves full credit. A pat on the back from a boxing legend like Canelo Alvarez will go a long way to keep him motivated.

The feat holds significant meaning for Mexico as well. It has taken the country nearly 40 years to secure an Olympic silver in boxing. It was at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics that Hector Lopez received a silver medal in the bantamweight class. However, it’s worth noting that since the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, when flyweight Ricardo Delgado and featherweight Antonio Roldan won gold medals, the country has yet to reach that distinction.

Commencing his amateur career six years ago, Marco Alonso Verde Alvarez has amassed a record of 46 fights, winning 39 and losing the remaining 7. Thirteen of his victories came through knockouts. His proud country can definitely look forward to splendid feats from the Sinaloa native.

What is your take on the upcoming Alvarez-Berlanga fixture? Can ‘The Chosen One’ give the champion a tough fight or even stage an upset?