Best Cruiserweight in World, IBF Champ Mairis Briedis, Proposes Bout With Canelo
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
International Boxing Federation and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis, 28-1 with 20 knockouts, Riga, Latvia, has a new idea for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Briedis, age 36, proposes for Canelo to fight him for his IBF World Cruiserweight title at 200 pounds, a 42 pounds two-division jump up from the undisputed 168 pounds World Super Middleweight title now held by Canelo. Briedis would sure like the money the Canelo bout would bring. The first Latvian to hold a world boxing title, Briedis is currently ranked as the best cruiserweight in the world by BoxRec, Ring Magazine, and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and is promoted by Kalle Sauerland.
“Doesn’t seem like Canelo will find a leveled fight at super middleweight or light heavyweight,” said Briedis on his social media account. “What a machine! Ready to test waters at cruiserweight for a proper challenge?”
Alvarez, 57-1-2 with 39 knockouts, Guadalajara, Mexico, weighs 168 pounds and went up to 174 ½ pounds when he knocked out Sergey Kovalev to win the World Boxing Organisation World Light Heavyweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, in November 2019. Canelo’s range of 139 to 174 ½ pounds would go up 25 ½ pounds for cruiserweight. Canelo probably weighed around 180 pounds entering the ring against Kovalev.
Briedis has a hook-heavy swinger in style, fighting at 198 to 201 pounds, and has gone up as high as 211 to 213 pounds. Considering Briedis is 6’1″ to Canelo’s 5’7″, it would seem unlikely given the disparity in height and weight Canelo would move up in weight. Canelo has wiped out the super middleweight division. A return to the light heavyweight division is likely unless any top middleweight world champions are given an opportunity to move up and challenge Canelo at 168 pounds.
Briedis is best known for his participation in the WBSS World Boxing Super Series tournaments at cruiserweight in Europe, losing a majority decision to Oleksandr Usyk in the semifinal of the 2017-2018 tournament, won by Usyk, one of the current world heavyweight champions. Briedis won the 2019-2020 WBSS tournament with a 12 round decision on Yuniel Dorticos. Against Usyk, Briedis landed 195 of 579 punches, a 34% accuracy ratio. Usyk threw and landed more at 212 of 848 punches thrown. Usyk landed more power punches 149 to 121. Usyk is an accurate boxer, though not a power puncher.
Briedis currently has the option of remaining at cruiserweight and unifying with the other paper cruiserweight champions or moving up to the new World Boxing Council Bridgerweight title, currently held by Colombian Canadian Oscar Rivas, a brand new 200 to 224 pounds division still needing more recognition, which Rivas could provide. Alvarez appears set to move to 175 pounds to challenge World Boxing Organisation World Light Heavyweight Champion Joe Smith, while Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol the other champions wait in line for a more lucrative unification match. Marcus Browne and Gilberto Ramirez are also big names at 175 pounds who could figure into the Canelo mix.
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