It has not been a great year for unified middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez as he suffered his first defeat in almost seven years, losing to WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol back in May. The Russian boxer outclassed Alvarez throughout the fight and won via unanimous decision.

Moreover, following his loss, Alvarez was also dropped from the pound-for-pound rankings list of various outlets including ESPN and The Ring Magazine. However, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman came to the Mexican’s defense and hinted that Alvarez should still be on top of the lists.

Mauricio Sulaiman Defends Canelo Alvarez

In an interview with Planet Sport Sulaiman stated that Alvarez should be in the top spot despite his loss saying,” I have Canelo as the number one pound-for-pound but the pound-for-pound list is a very, it’s a fun game.”

He then went on to praise other boxers like Devin Haney, Tyson Fury, and Naoya Inoue for their performances this year,” This year we have had results that are unbelievable. Of course, Canelo losing, Fury making a statement. Charlo becoming undisputed, Haney becoming undisputed, Inoue with an unbelievable demonstration, Beterbiev with an unbelievable demonstration. Errol Spence, Crawford.

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He then added that the performances will give enthusiasts a good time as the competition for the top spot increases, “So for those who enjoy doing the pound-for-pound, they’re going to have a good time but a very challenging time because it’s not easy. There are so many great fighters out there that can claim to be the pound-for-pound king.

Lastly, he defended Alvarez and claimed that it is unfair to drop him just on the basis of a single loss, “As I said, if you look at the list – Inoue, Haney, but you know, Canelo it is unfair to simply just drop him out. He lost a fight that he did not need to take, he moved up in weight. But I still think you know, he’s been there for several years. And it’s so easy just to throw them out. But I don’t like to be that way”

Should Alvarez still be on the list?

Despite losing to Bivol, Alvarez is still one of the best boxers in the world. Moreover, he was on a 16-fight win streak before losing to the Russian with wins over Gennady Golovkin, Caleb Plant, and Billy Joe Saunders. But it is also hard to ignore the recent performances of Devin Haney, Artur Beterbiev, and Tyson Fury, all of whom are still undefeated and have been dominating their competitors.

Furthermore, Alvarez will be ready to prove himself when he takes on Gennady Golovkin in September to complete their trilogy fight and regain his position in the pound-for-pound rankings.

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Do you think Alvarez can get his place back in the rankings? Let us know in the comments.