Canelo now a free agent

[TitoFan]

Like who? I see Pascal in there but he's ancient and shop worn. Then again... that's how Canelo likes them.

Benavidez looks like the only true good option in there.

I guess you could mention Plant, but he probably couldn't hang with Canelo.

Canelo is fighting at 168. He isn’t going back down to 160. He also isn’t going to 175 for a beast like Beterbiev. Benavidez and Plant seem to be about the best at 168 so might as well fight them.

He went up to 175 for damaged, exposed Kovalev. Why won't he then go up for Beterbiev? Because he hasn't turned 40 yet?

The Kovalev fight was specifically for a belt. He already became a title holder at that weight so he has no need to go up there again.

And you applaud that practice... ok.

So Canelo, who it must be said started his pro career at 140, reached a comfort level at 154 but could easily fight at 160... a division to where he was first called out by GGG.

He postponed that fight for a couple of years on the grounds that he "wasn't a middleweight", until he was good and ready (and had fought JCC Jr. at 170)... and THEN moved up to 160 and had his couple of fights with Golovkin.

All of a sudden he grows into his frame and can go up and pick off Kovalev at 175. You know... for the belt.

So now he's flexible enough to move through three divisions: 160, 168, 175.

Jermall Charlo has called out Canelo and would be happy to meet him at 160... oh... but Canelo cannot "drain" himself to make 160.

So help me out here. Has Canelo pigeonholed himself into 168? Or is this "opponent-dependent"?

I'd probably understand a bit better if Canelo's team would release a set of conditions under which Canelo can go down to 160 or up to 175.

I think you misunderstand me. I’m not saying I agree with it. I’m saying that’s why he isn’t going back up to 175. He got the belt and he has no motivation to fight again at that weight. He most likely won’t be able to make 160 again. So 168 is what is left for him.

No, I understand you perfectly. It's just that I'm used to fighters wanting to conquer weight divisions they are perfectly suited to fight in. Let's not kid ourselves... Canelo is perfectly suited for 175 as well as 168. It's not even that much of a stretch for him to (cough) "starve" himself to make 160 again. Many an ATG has been through three weight divisions and more.

I can guarantee you that if Bambi were to miraculously be handed a belt at 175... Canelo would be fighting him the next day. I don't like fighters whose whole career is predicated on picking off the lame zebras from the herd all for the sake of more trinkets. It gets horribly old after a while.

So I get it. You feel he's got no motivation to go to 175 again, and can't make 160. I on the other hand, feel he could compete at 175 if he wasn't such an entitled diva... and he can make 160 all day long.
As long as there isn't a Charlo there calling him out.