Rating The Best Super Middleweight Challengers for Canelo Alvarez in 2024
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
The year 2024 has brought new light and new vision to the 168 pounds super middleweight division, currently ruled by undisputed World Super Middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez. Here are my picks for the ten best super middleweight opponents for Canelo to consider in 2024. Benavidez, Berlanga and Munguia are the strongest names for Cinco de Mayo while Canelo continues to negotiate with both PBC or DAZN to finalize this event.
Top Challenger Number One: David Benavidez, 28-0, 24 knockouts, Las Vegas, Nevada, coming off a sixth round stoppage of 32-0 Demetrius Andrade to retain the interim World Boxing Council World Super Middleweight title, will move up to 175 pounds to battle former World Light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk for the vacant World Boxing Council interim World Light heavyweight title. Benavidez, tired of waiting for the opportunity to fight Canelo at 168 pounds, has opted to go up in weight. If Benavidez wins at 175 pounds, he will still be waiting for Canelo, Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev to fight him at some point in the future.
Top Challenger Number Two: Jaime Munguia, 43-0, 34 knockouts, Tijuana, Mexico, coming off a ninth round stoppage of John Ryder in defense of his World Boxing Council Silver Super Middleweight title, a bout in which he knocked Ryder down four times. Munguia has been proposed to Canelo, and has fluttered through junior welterweight, welterweight, junior middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and is now rumored to be considering going to 175 pounds light heavyweight. Thus far, no world champion has been willing to fight the 43-0 Munguia in any weight class. Will Canelo be the first? It appears not yet.
Top Challenger Number Three: Christian Mbilli, 26-0,22 knockouts, Pornic, France, the World Boxing Council Continental Americas Super Middleweight champion. Mbilli has fought in France, Canada, and the United States, but remains a largely unknown wild carding the 168 pounds division.
Top Challenger Number Four: David Morrell, 10-0, nine knockouts, Minnesota by way of Santa Clara, Cuba. Morrell holds the World Boxing Association regular Super Middleweight title. However, Morrell is not a big draw, and is not a challenger of great interest to Canelo for the moment.
Top Challenger Number Five: Edgar Berlanga, 22-0 with 17 knockouts, New York City. The undefeated WBO NABO Super Middleweight champion continues to wait in the wings for a world title opportunity.
Top Challenger Number Six: Vladimir Shishkin, 15-0 with nine knockouts, Florida by way of the Russian Federation. Shishkin has quietly risen through the rankings.
Top Challenger Number Seven: Osleys Iglesias, 9-0 with eight knockouts, Berlin, Germany, by way of Havana, Cuba. The dangerous Cuban southpaw holds the tandem IBO World Super Middleweight title, but remains relatively unknown.
Top Challenger Number Eight: Diego Pacheco, 20-0 with 17 knockouts, Benton, Washington. Pacheco holds the regional WBC USA and WBO International Super Middleweight titles.
Top Challenger Number Nine: Eric Bazinyan, 32-0 with 23 knockouts, Laval, Canada by way of Armenia. Bazinyan holds the credible regional North American Boxing Federation Super Middleweight title, and has fought in the United States and Canada.
Top Challenger Number Ten: Mark Jeffers, 17-0 with four knockouts, Chorley, United Kingdom, by way of Northern Ireland. The BBBofC English Super Middleweight champion is a highly technical fighter who has won 13 decisions.
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