“When I lost to Floyd Mayweather, I had just turned 23. Obviously, I wasn’t ready for that fight,” Canelo Alvarez admitted, reflecting on his first professional loss, during an episode of the We Are Brave podcast. Canelo went on to say the defeat could’ve derailed his entire career. Instead, he chose to use it as motivation to grow stronger. “In life, you lose more than you win,” he added, recalling the depression that followed the 2013 bout. Still, he credits the loss for teaching him a valuable lesson.

“Well, he taught me something. One day I am going to be the best in the world. This isn’t going to stop me,” said Canelo. “I was beaten by the best in the world, one of the best in boxing history.” While Alvarez framed the loss as a product of youth and inexperience, a former sparring partner, who’s trained with both Canelo and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has now stepped in to challenge that narrative, dismissing the age excuse and hinting at a different truth.

Just a few hours ago, Matchroom Boxing shared an Instagram post captioned, “😮 @jackcatt1 has sparred BOTH Floyd Mayweather and Canelo in his career. So we found out a bit more about it…” In the video, Jack Catterall took part in a rapid-fire Q&A session, comparing the two boxing legends based on his personal experience in the ring. When asked who was harder to hit clean, he replied without hesitation: “Floyd Mayweather Jr.” The questions kept coming, who had the better jab? “Floyd.” Who controlled the ring better? “Floyd.” But when asked who was physically stronger, Catterall gave that edge to Canelo Alvarez.

When the reporter asked who played more mind games, Catterall again pointed to Mayweather. But when it came to who gave more advice or feedback during sparring, he credited Canelo. As for whether either fighter surprised him with their skills, he said, “Both of them.” When asked who he’d rather spar today, the 30-2 British boxer answered, “Canelo,” possibly hinting at the difficulty of dealing with Mayweather’s elusive style.

The comparison continued with more specifics: who set a higher pace in sparring? “Canelo,” Catterall answered. Who had the biggest aura in the gym? “Floyd.” When asked who hit harder, he again went with “Canelo.” Finally, the most anticipated question, who would win between a prime Floyd Mayweather and a prime Canelo Alvarez? Jack Catterall didn’t hesitate. “Floyd,” he said, underscoring his belief that Mayweather’s technical prowess and unmatched defense would carry the day.

Catterall’s verdict is hard to argue with, especially considering Mayweather’s legendary 50-0 record and his reputation as one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. Still, it raises an interesting question, if Catterall believes Mayweather would have the upper hand even in their primes, what does Canelo Alvarez himself think about his own strength and evolution?

Is Terence Crawford really better than Floyd Mayweather? Canelo Alvarez has an answer

Canelo Alvarez recently stirred debate when he told FightHype, “I think Crawford is a little better than Mayweather,” while reflecting on his 2013 loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. At 34, Canelo seems to be building up Terence Crawford ahead of their September 13 bout, likely to boost hype and subscriptions for the Netflix broadcast. Still, many fans disagree with his assessment. They argue that if Bud Crawford were truly better than Mayweather, he wouldn’t have struggled against Israil Madrimov last year, and would already be a proven pay-per-view star.

Canelo however, tried to temper the comparison by clarifying, “I think it’s a totally different fight. I don’t want to compare this fight with other fights.” He added, “I think this fight is one of the best fights in boxing history, and that’s it.” But some believe he’s overstating things.

In truth, Canelo Alvarez’s first two fights against Gennadiy Golovkin were more exciting, and even his bout with Mayweather generated more intrigue. Crawford, while respected, doesn’t yet have the crossover appeal that GGG or Money Mayweather commanded at the time.

Though the fight might reach a broader audience thanks to HE Turki Alalshikh’s Netflix deal, many still question whether it truly belongs among boxing’s all-time great matchups. And while Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford will be a marquee event, it’s doubtful it will match the numbers or drama of Canelo’s past battles with Golovkin, Mayweather, or even Miguel Cotto. Anyway, do you think Terence Crawford has what it takes to floor Canelo Alvarez? Chime in the comments below!