Atlas shared his thoughts in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV. He made it clear that he's not saying Canelo isn't good. Instead, he questions if Canelo deserves the top spot given Mexico's rich boxing history.
"That's honest, that accurate. I think he was overrated. They took that as me saying he's not that good. No, I didn't say that. When you make him number one, again, with the history of champions you have in that country, wow, you better know what you're talking about."
Canelo has had an impressive career. He's won championships in four weight divisions and only lost two of his 65 fights. But Atlas points to several bouts where he thinks Canelo should have lost.
Atlas believes Canelo lost 11 or 12 rounds against Dmitry Bivol. He also thinks Canelo lost every round to Floyd Mayweather, even though Canelo was younger at the time.
The fight with Erislandy Lara was very close, but Atlas thinks Canelo lost by a point. As for the two fights with Gennady Golovkin, Atlas sees them both as losses for Canelo.
"GGG pressed him, pushed him, fought on the inside and won the fight fairly handily," Atlas said about the first fight. For the second, he added, "Canelo was pressing the fight, but GGG used the jab magnificently enough to win enough rounds."
To prove himself, Atlas suggests Canelo should fight David Benavidez. Canelo has said he'll take that fight if the money is right.
For now, Canelo is set to face undefeated Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga on September 14. Atlas maintains that Canelo needs to beat Benavidez to be considered the greatest Mexican fighter.
You can watch Atlas' full comments on Fight Hub TV's YouTube channel.