Canelo at pound-for-pound #1: Is there any debate?

At the weekend we were privileged to witness a pugilistic genius at work. The biggest star in boxing, Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, put on a masterclass against Liverpool's Callum Smith, winning via wide unanimous decision. He did so in front of around 12,000 adoring fans who, unfortunately, had no qualms about booing the overmatched Liverpudlian as he made his way to the ring, adding insult to inevitable injury. In the aftermath, many have questioned the game plan devised by Smith and trainer Joe Gallagher; not only was the six-foot-three Smith picked apart for the better part of 12 rounds, but he was out-jabbed 2-to-1 by Canelo. Not a good look for a man with a 7.5-inch reach advantage. Chalk that up to a bad Gallagher game plan if you must, but it is Canelo who deserves the lion's share of the credit for dismantling the man many considered to be number one in the super middleweight division.

There's an old adage in boxing: "Make 'em miss, then make 'em pay," and on Saturday, from very early on in the bout, the gap in defensive skills became apparent. We saw Canelo masterfully move his upper body, often by only a few inches, to dodge or take the sting out of Smith's punches. We also saw him block and coolly parry Smith's blows to such effect that, at the end of the fight, Canelo looked more like he'd spent 36 minutes at a day spa than in a ring. The same cannot be said for Callum Smith, whose defensive prowess consists mainly of holding a high guard and backing up against the ropes. This was probably the greatest similarity between the Ryder and Álvarez fights for Smith; the approach to defense he displayed in both was more about survival than gaining the upper hand, more about weathering the storm than raining down punches in response.

Canelo looked more like he'd spent 36 minutes at a day spa than in a ring.

Of course the second, and more important in the eyes of some judges, part of the equation is to make your opponent pay. Canelo mercilessly launched hooks and uppercuts at Smith as he walked him down, taking the opportunity once Smith's back reached the ropes to display his creative feints and punch selection. As mentioned, Canelo managed to land twice as many jabs despite throwing 37 fewer than Smith. There's a reason Canelo couldn't miss with that jab: fear. The Mexican's hooks, even those Smith succeeded in blocking, came in with a ferocity that reminded Smith he couldn't afford to be on the receiving end of a clean blow. Smith found himself so busy putting on his earmuffs to avoid Álvarez's power shots that he couldn't be bothered to defend the jab. In a word, Smith was neutralized. This was apparent in his offense as well; Callum was loath to throw power shots with his full weight behind them for fear of Canelo's precision counterpunching.

Smith found himself so busy putting on his earmuffs to avoid Álvarez's power shots that he couldn't be bothered to defend the jab. In a word, Smith was neutralized.

Particularly vicious was Álvarez's apparent targeting of Smith's left arm, which we've since learned via reporting by The Athletic resulted in a detached tricep in the fourth round. It's been confirmed by both fighters that Canelo sought to injure Smith's left arm from the outset in order to neutralize his usually-dangerous left hook. This kind of thoughtful (albeit ruthless) plan of attack and its success are a testament to Canelo and the Reynosos' careful, strategic approach to this fight, as well as a reminder that Canelo absolutely had his way on Saturday night.

So, the question on everyone's mind is this: Is Canelo now the undisputed pound-for-pound number one? Did that performance seal the deal, and can we officially put a stop to all of the argument on Twitter? Well, perhaps that's too much to ask for, but certainly Canelo's claim to the spot atop our subjective (and ultimately meaningless) lists is stronger than ever. Kieran Mulvaney of the Showtime Boxing Podcast made an astute observation regarding Canelo's ranking in recent years, namely that because of his status as a superstar, he has often been undervalued as a talent, especially by the hardcore fans. It's as though Canelo is in a different category to other fighters and thus shouldn't be ranked alongside them. With that said, his appearance at or around number one in the last year indicates that his talent is now held in nearly as high esteem as his star power.

Aside from that of Manny Pacquiao, Canelo's résumé is nonpareil. Whether he is number one on your list probably depends on how highly you value résumé in your personal pound-for-pound equation. Some still have Crawford above all others, despite the fact he has the worst collection of scalps at welterweight, clearly evidencing the fact that who you've fought isn't everything. Still, there is something even more important than résumé that makes Canelo a prime candidate for pound for pound number one, and it goes to the origin of these always-debatable lists.

It's as though Canelo is in a different category to other fighters and thus shouldn't be ranked alongside them.

"Pound for pound" is a phrase coined initially to describe a man many consider to be the greatest boxer of all time: "Sugar" Ray Robinson. The underlying notion? If all fighters were in the same weight class, Robinson could defeat every last one of them. Canelo, ever since the second Golovkin fight, has had an air of invincibility about him that very few fighters have enjoyed. The rarified air Canelo breathes has been shared only by the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Roy Jones Jr., and the aforementioned Robinson. It's hard to imagine Canelo being hurt in the ring, let alone touching the canvas, and with his ever-improving defense, timing, and judgement of distance, it's increasingly difficult to imagine him losing. Would any current fighter be made the favorite against Álvarez, even if they all fought at 168 pounds? Your answer to that question likely determines where he stands in your rankings, I know where he's situated in mine.