Canelo Alvarez Believes His Mentality As A Mexican Fighter Makes A Big Difference

Canelo Alvarez believes his mentality as a Mexican fighter has played a vital role in his career.

Although Alvarez is arguably the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world, he says his mentality is why he is so good. He says being a Mexican fighter has been crucial for his success as a boxer.

“The mentality that a Mexican fighter has is to never crack, to always give his best until the end. That is something that makes a big difference,” Canelo Alvarez, a native of Guadalajara, told ESPN Deportes (via boxingscene).

Alvarez is set to return to the ring on May 8 against Billy Joe Saunders. It’s a very intriguing matchup and a fight that many believe will be the Mexican’s toughest test to date. It will also serve as a three belt title unification fight at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

In his last couple of fights, Alvarez has been very technical which many fans have been mad about. They said they want him to stand-and-trade with fighters, but Alvarez says he would rather pick them apart and then unload on them when the time is right.

“For me, Mexican style is not about going in there to exchange, to give and take punches, to get knocked down and get back up; I don’t think that’s it. There are many styles in Mexican boxing and there have been many styles of Mexican boxing throughout the history of boxing. Gilberto Román is there, he moved very well, there are many fighters who have different styles … I think Mexican boxing is also about knowing how to move, hit, and not get hit,” Canelo Alvarez said.

Canelo Alvarez is coming off a dominating win over Avni Yildirim in February and before that, beat Callum Smith in December.

Do you think Canelo Alvarez will beat Billy Joe Saunders on May 8?