Canelo is in Riyadh to prepare for his upcoming bout against William Scull on May 3. The fight will take place in the early hours of Sunday, May 4, local time in Saudi Arabia.
While there, Canelo sat down with DAZN Boxing for an interview. When asked about the best boxer in history, he didn't hesitate to name Ali. Interestingly, he left out Mike Tyson from his selection.
Canelo also talked about the current state of boxing. He sees himself as the face of the sport right now. When asked about who might take over that role in the future, he didn't name anyone specific but said he hopes it'll be a Mexican boxer.
This choice of Ali as the greatest echoes what Mike Tyson himself said in a recent interview. At the end of February 2025, Tyson told ThisIs50 that Ali would have beaten him in the ring.
"There's nobody like him, nobody. Everything we have, he replaced us. He's an animal, he looks more like a model than a boxer. He's like a Tyrannosaurus Rex with a beautiful face, he's mean and vicious, he'll take you into deep water and drown you. He's very special, the best. Nobody can beat Ali, I can't beat that guy, no way. Impossible."
Tyson's words paint a vivid picture of Ali's skills and presence in the ring. Ali's career included famous wins over Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Sonny Liston.
Canelo's pick of Ali shows the lasting impact 'The Greatest' has had on boxing. Even decades after his last fight, top boxers still see Ali as the standard to measure against.