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World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman has given high praise to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and believes the Mexican superstar is still the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.
Last month, Canelo was outboxed over twelve rounds by WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol.
Canelo, who still holds the undisputed crown at super middleweight, suffered his first defeat since a decision loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013.
Due to his defeat, most observers dropped Canelo from the top spot in the pound-for-pound ranks.
Sulaiman disagrees. He feels Canelo should still hold the top spot.
“I have Canelo as the number one pound-for-pound but the pound-for-pound list is a very it’s a fun game,” Sulaiman told Planet Sport.
“But now for those who take it very seriously, they have to be struggling very hard. This year we have had results that are unbelievable. Of course, Canelo losing, [Tyson] Fury making a statement. [Jermell] Charlo becoming undisputed, [Devin] Haney becoming undisputed, [Naoya] Inoue with an unbelievable demonstration, [Artur] Beterbiev with an unbelievable demonstration.
“Errol Spence, [Terence] Crawford – there are so many great fighters out there. And if you talk about women, there’s also unbelievable quality and talent. So for those who enjoy doing the pound-for-pound, they’re going to have a good time but a very challenging time because it’s not easy. There are so many great fighters out there that can claim to be the pound-for-pound king.
“As I said, if you look at the list – Inoue, Haney, but you know, Canelo it is unfair to simply just drop him out. He lost a fight that he did not need to take – he moved up in weight. But I still think you know, he’s been there for several years. And it’s so easy just to throw them out. But I don’t like to be that way.”