THE STANDARD-BEARER
of all styles, and that has prepared me for all the fights I have ahead, including this one against Crawford. Everything before has surely helped, especially for this upcoming fight. The Ring: Crawford tried to get into your head, and I think in the end, you got into his, especially during The G.O.A.T.S. Podcast when you questioned the level of his opposition. What do you think about him calling Ricky Burns and Viktor Postol “elite”? CA: (laughs) I give real facts. At the end of the day, I’m not lying. He hasn’t faced elite fighters. That doesn’t mean he’s not a great fighter. I’m not taking anything away from him, but if we compare career to career and the opponents each of us has faced, he has no arguments. As for Ricky Burns, I don’t remember ever seeing him fight. And as for Viktor Postol, I remember him because many years ago, he went to the gym where I trained in Guadalajara and did sparring with some guys from Guadalajara, and that’s how I know him. But that’s all I remember. The Ring: Physically you’ve maintained yourself very well, and being in your 30s, you have great accumulated experience. How do you feel physically and mentally? CA: Look, if I were to compare myself with the Canelo of 25, 26 or 27 years old, this Canelo would beat that younger Canelo. So I don’t think we need to delve too much into this topic. I repeat: This Canelo would beat the Canelo of 26, 27 or 28 years old. I feel at my best. I have great experience based on the big fights I’ve had. All of them have been great and have given me enormous experience, and I declare myself ready for what’s coming.
battle between the corners? Eddy Reynoso does not want to lose to Brian McIntyre. CA: The important thing is to win. Crawford’s trainer isn’t the important thing. The victory is what matters most. The goal for us as a team is to win. We’re very motivated for this fight. Believe me, we’re going to prepare thoroughly. We’ll prepare as always, but we’re going to give an extra push because we obviously know this is a very important fight. And yes, Eddy is just as enthusiastic and motivated as I am. We’re going all in. The Ring: What’s your biggest motivation for this fight? Is it the money or something else? CA: Obviously everything this fight represents. It’s a very big and historic fight. It means a lot for my career and my record. But what has brought me to where I am today is the desire to write my name in golden letters in the history of world boxing. The money obviously comes along with it. It’s a consequence. But I never imagined I’d be earning what I’m earning, financially speaking. What I’ve always done was out of love for boxing, for love of what I do. But in the end, everything goes hand in hand. I always tell young people: Always do what you love, give your all, dedicate yourself 100% without thinking about money first. In the end, if you give yourself fully, the money comes on its own and more than you can imagine. I’ve done everything out of love for boxing, and this fight is no exception. Because if we’re talking about money, I don’t need money. In the end, I still love what I do, I still enjoy it, and if a big fight like this comes with a lot of money, obviously I’m going to take advantage of it. Who wouldn’t? Those who speak badly of me, criticizing my career, my life and my earnings and saying I only fight for money obviously do it out of envy. Who wouldn’t want to be in my position? Those who criticize me would love to be in my position. So let’s not play dumb. All those who say I only
fight for money would love to be where I am. So they better shut up, because they look really bad. The Ring: You’re no longer competing for a place in Mexican boxing. Today you fight for a place among the greatest in history. However, give me three names of Mexican boxing legends among whom you probably already belong. CA: I wouldn’t like to say that I’m already among the legends, because immediately people would criticize me. As soon as I say something, they start criticizing me, saying that I’m just including myself on that list. I wouldn’t like to put myself in that list. I think we should wait until I retire and then look at the numbers, the fights I’ve had, the opponents I’ve beaten, the titles at stake, the championships I’ve won and what I’ve done in boxing. What I’ve achieved in boxing will be very hard for someone else to achieve. What’s the point of having many fights? Having many fights is not what matters. What matters is the type of fights, the type of opponents, what I’ve conquered. But let’s wait until I retire, and then we’ll talk about my historical ranking. The Ring: A few years ago, you told me you’d retire at 37. Are you still thinking of retiring at 37? CA: Yes, definitely yes. I’m going to retire at 37, and that’s still the plan. For now, I’m enjoying whatever little or much time I have left in boxing, but enjoying the moment 100%. I already have other goals outside boxing – bigger goals. I’ll continue enjoying what’s left, but I repeat: That’s the plan – retire at 37. The Ring: Is there anyone who can replace Canelo as the face of boxing? CA: We don’t know yet. I still have a few more years left. We’ll see who emerges. But what I can assure you is that I’ll work to support young Mexican fighters so that it’s a Mexican who replaces me.
The Ring: How do you see the
Canelo knocked out the much smaller Amir Khan in spectacular fashion.
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