Max Kellerman has dismissed Canelo Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight championship run as a series of cherry-picked fights, despite the Mexican superstar defeating three previously unbeaten titleholders along the way.
The former HBO and ESPN broadcaster made the claim during an appearance on Ring Champs with Ak & Barak, where his assessment of Canelo’s opponents prompted an immediate challenge from the hosts.
Kellerman argued that Canelo’s matchmaking became more selective as he moved through the weight divisions, particularly when he settled at 168 pounds.
“As he got older, they started cherry-picking opponents more, putting him in with plausible opponents, but not killers,” Kellerman said.
The hosts pointed out that Canelo had defeated Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant, all unbeaten when they faced him, to unify the super middleweight division.
“No, no, not champions. Belt holders,” Kellerman responded.
When challenged over whether beating undefeated titleholders could reasonably be considered cherry-picking, Kellerman doubled down.
“It is absolutely a cherry pick.”
Canelo’s Undisputed Run
Canelo beat Smith in December 2020, Saunders in May 2021 and Plant in November 2021, becoming the first undisputed super middleweight champion of the four-belt era.
Those victories came against established fighters who held the championships necessary to achieve undisputed status.
However, Kellerman insisted that collecting the belts did not necessarily mean Canelo was facing the most dangerous available opposition.
“Each fight was plausible,” he explained, arguing that there were other opponents he would rather have seen Canelo face at the time.
“They were good, but they weren’t killers.”
The hosts continued to challenge Kellerman over his assessment.
They argued that Callum Smith was a legitimate championship target when Canelo moved up, while David Benavidez had not yet established himself as the obvious opponent at the beginning of the run.
One host also recalled that Canelo had faced Rocky Fielding at 168 pounds in 2018, when Smith was among the names fans wanted him to fight.
Canelo subsequently defeated Smith, making Kellerman’s criticism difficult to reconcile with the demands being made at the time.
The David Benavidez Question
Kellerman’s argument ultimately centered on Benavidez, whose size, ability and position in the division made him a dangerous potential opponent.
The ex-Inside the Ring frontman acknowledged the argument against taking that fight after Canelo had already become undisputed.
He then made his strongest accusation of the discussion, suggesting that Benavidez was the one opponent Canelo had avoided during an otherwise distinguished career.
“Canelo never ducked anyone except Benavidez,” Kellerman said.
He also acknowledged that he understood why Canelo might have been reluctant to face the considerably larger fighter.
Nevertheless, Kellerman insisted that the circumstances did not change his assessment of the matchmaking.
Kellerman’s Canelo Claim
Canelo defeated the titleholders required to become undisputed, yet Kellerman argues that those victories did not necessarily represent the toughest fights available.
There is merit in questioning why Canelo and Benavidez never met, particularly as demand for the fight increased after Canelo became undisputed.
But dismissing Canelo’s entire undisputed run overlooks the quality of the opponents he beat.
Smith, Saunders and Plant were not unknown challengers handed convenient opportunities. They were established, unbeaten fighters with championships Canelo needed to collect.
Kellerman is entitled to believe more dangerous opponents existed, but calling the whole run a cherry pick is a considerably stronger claim.
Canelo did what was required to become undisputed at super middleweight. Whether he should subsequently have defended those titles against Benavidez remains a separate argument.
Kellerman appears unwilling to separate the two.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the Editor-in-Chief of World Boxing News (WBN), a BWAA-acknowledged boxing news website founded in 2010. A veteran boxing reporter with 16 years of experience, he has interviewed world champions, broken international exclusives, and reported ringside from major events. His work is published worldwide through WBN and distributed on platforms including Apple News.
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