Boxing News 2015: Canelo Alvarez Says It Will Be An ‘Honour’ To Fight ‘Legend’ Manny Pacquiao


Rising Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez has already fought one elite fighter in Floyd Mayweather Jr. in his career but is looking forward for more. One of the top names in his list is Filipino eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao, who will battle Mayweather Jr. on May 2, 2015 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States.

Alvarez was recently asked in an interview published by boxing website thaboxingvoice.com about Pacquiao and the possibility that the Mexican get to face the Filipino in the near future— and create their own “super fight” possibly after the big bout against Mayweather Jr.

“Pacquiao has fought the best, the best in the world. He’s at the end of his career, but he still continues to be a great fighter with experience,” Alvarez, who who will be facing James Kirkland in Houston, Texas a week after the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout, said in the article. “It would be an honour to fight Pacquiao with all due respect. It would be an honour to fight a legend like him.”

While Alvarez has shown respect for the Filipino, he had a different description of Mayweather Jr, whom he described as a very conservative fighter in the ring and that’s one of the reasons why the undefeated American has had an immaculate record so far in his career.

In a separate interview mid-March posted on the YouTube channel of Fight Hype, Alvarez said that Mayweather Jr. is fine winning a round with “three punches” and that “he doesn’t care in what way he wins as long as he wins”— a slight to Mayweather Jr.’s style which some in the boxing circles describes as unexciting and boring.

Alvarez lost to Mayweather Jr.-- the Mexican's lone loss in his fight career-- on Sept. 14, 2013 when he lost via majority decision, 116-112, 114-114, 117-111.

While the super fight between Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao has yet to be decided— Alvarez’s wish of meeting the Filipino on top of the squared ring is a possibility considering they are campaigning in weight divisions near each other. Pacquiao is a champion in the welterweight division, or the 147-pound limit, while Alvarez is the number one contender in the junior middleweight division, or the 154-pound division.

Should the pair decide to face each other, most likely they’ll agree on a catchweight similar to what heavier boxers Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and Antonio Margarito did in past fights against Pacquiao.

To contact author of this article, email j.quizon@IBTimes.com.au.