Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the World Boxing Council, has come to the defense of Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez following his defeat to Terence Crawford on September 13 in Las Vegas. Sulaiman criticized those who abandon fighters after losses and highlighted Alvarez's impressive career achievements.
Alvarez's loss to Crawford marked only his third defeat in a 20-year career spanning 14 years as a world champion. The Mexican superstar has beaten 21 champions throughout his career, with his only other losses coming against Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol.
Sulaiman spoke about the criticism Alvarez has faced since the fight:
"It's to be expected. When Canelo has lost, it was against (Floyd) Mayweather, against (Dmitry) Bivol, a bigger boxer, and now against Crawford, a great champion, those who have been detractors are having a field day with criticism."
The WBC president praised those who have shown support for Alvarez in the wake of his defeat:
"But the nice thing has been to see the manifestation of support from personalities, from Saul's friends, uploading their photo and encouraging, because how easy it is to be with the champion and how easy it is to abandon the loser."
Sulaiman emphasized the importance of loyalty in both victory and defeat, stating, "It's so easy to be with the champion and so easy to abandon the loser."
After speaking with Alvarez following the fight, Sulaiman affirmed the boxer's place in boxing history:
"All the greats have lost, he is a great of boxing, a great of history whether he gets in the ring again or not, whether he wins or not the championship again, his place is already guaranteed as one of the greats of boxing."
Sulaiman went on to highlight Alvarez's career achievements:
"Three defeats in 20 years, 14 years as world champion, 21 champions he has defeated, his three defeats to hall of famers. So there is a lot to analyse if you want to have a positive perspective, and there is nothing to analyse if you want to be negative and crush someone who had a setback."
Looking ahead, Alvarez has two commitments scheduled for 2026. Sulaiman maintains that the recent loss to Crawford is merely a setback in an otherwise stellar career.
The WBC president's words serve as a reminder of Alvarez's enduring legacy in boxing, despite this recent defeat. Sulaiman's defense of the Mexican champion underscores the importance of recognizing a fighter's entire career rather than focusing solely on individual losses.
