Canelo Alvarez is the likely heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather Jr. as boxing's top star and biggest box office draw. Even though he was soundly beaten by Mayweather when they met in September 2013, Alvarez has bounced back with two straight victories over Alfredo Angulo and Erislandy Lara this year, cementing himself as a bankable star.
The latter victory also earned him valuable credibility that Mayweather hasn't been afforded by the boxing public. At least twice Alvarez has gone against the advice of his team and taken difficult style matchups--most notably against Austin Trout in 2013 and Lara most recently--proving that he will not duck difficult opponents.
With that in mind, these are the five best fights possible for the Mexican superstar.
Miguel Cotto (39-4-0, 32 KO) WBC Middleweight Champion
Cotto was an underdog his last time out vs. Sergio Martinez, but he knocked down the middleweight champion three times in the first round, and shut him out for nine rounds until Martinez's corner stopped the fight. Cotto is a boxing superstar and future Hall of Famer. He's also the pride of Puerto Rico, which has a storied boxing rivalry with Mexico. This is the most financially rewarding fight either man could make (unless Cotto fought Floyd Mayweather), and it is what fans want the most. It would also likely be the most difficult of these matchups for Canelo.
Gennady Golovkin (29-0-0, 26 KO) IBO Middleweight Champion
This isn't something that can be thought about until after July 26, since that's when Golovkin is defending his title against Daniel Geale, in what should be the most difficult fight of his career. However, he's the premier knockout artist in boxing these days, while Canelo brings the star power as well as a good bit of dynamite in his own gloves. If Golovkin can get by Geale in front of a Madison Square Garden card, his name will be big enough to warrant Alvarez's attention; also, this fight would make the hardcore fans drool.
Peter Quillin (31-0-0, 22 KO) WBO Middleweight Champion
Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin doesn't have quite the profile of Golovkin yet, but he's also a ferocious puncher that hardcore fans will be excited to see in the ring with Alvarez. He has fast hands and isn't afraid of a scrap, so a bout with Quillin would pretty much erase the memory of Lara darting around the ring and frustrating Canelo. He's probably not well-known enough to generate big buzz, but this would be a firefight.
James Kirkland (32-1-0, 28 KO)
Kirkland is the first name on this list that's not a middleweight right now, so he's the most likely of the four mentioned. At 154 lbs. Kirkland is a devastating puncher who put on a show vs. Glen Tapia in his last fight. The two traded shots for much of the early rounds but Kirkland seemed unaffected by Tapia's power while Kirkland's punches left Tapia out on his feet. Kirkland is a one-track fight; he comes forward and overwhelms. He's also hittable so the potential for a KO in this fight either way is there.
Demetrius Andrade (21-0-0, 14 KO) WBO Junior Middleweight Champion
Demetrius Andrade is a young champion that's largely unknown to most fans, but he may just be the best rising star in the sport pound-for-pound. At 26 years old he's already one of the slickest fighters in the sport and he has a good deal of power in both hands. Canelo's already proven to struggle with elite defensive fighters, so it's not likely Andrade would get a crack at him until he elevates his Q rating, but there may come a time when "Boo Boo" is cleaning out the division and becomes unavoidable.
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