The September 13 showdown at Allegiant Stadium finally unveiled the sheer brilliance of Terence Crawford. Twelve rounds of boxing saw him dazzle a record-breaking crowd and millions of viewers spread across the globe. There are very few examples where a super fight ended so decisively. As a result, Crawford’s next move continues to pique curiosity. However, one cannot ignore, the outcome has put Canelo’s status and his future under the lens of scrutiny. With the proverbial iron hand, he ruled the super middleweight division and was arguably the face of boxing. But the fight night turned the tables.

Stepping into the ring against some of the biggest names of the era, Canelo Alvarez remained a PPV highlight. But the Crawford fight exposed a bitter truth. He’s no longer the world champion who dispatched challengers at will. Even the losses to Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol failed to sully his name. The latest setback leaves his stature hanging by a thread. Many have started asking—does Canelo still carry the torch of Mexican boxing? The question has become more pertinent with the emergence of a new face, David Benavidez. The Arizona-born fighter chased Canelo, but to no avail. As time passed, he crossed divisions, stamping his authority with elan. Now he prepares himself for the first WBC title defense against Anthony Yarde at light heavyweight.

Once untouchable, Canelo Alvarez’s form now shows cracks

There’s been a dip in Canelo’s performance. His last great performance, where he trounced an opponent most convincingly, was back in 2021 when he knocked out Caleb Plant and became the super middleweight’s undisputed champion. However, the loss to Dmitry Bivol, where, in front of a huge Mexican crowd, he barely mustered answers to the savvy Russian’s technical brilliance, reportedly marked the beginning of his decline. The lackluster ending of the Triple G trilogy and the unremarkable title defense against John Ryder in 2023 didn’t help either.

Perhaps had Canelo taken the fight with young David Benavidez, who by then had become his WBC mandatory, it would have helped solve the matter. Instead, he settled for scraps against inconsistent Jermell Charlo, a humdrum Jaime Munguia, or, for that matter, Edgar Berlanga, who pounded his chest for lasting 12 rounds against Canelo Alvarez.

The May 3 fight in Riyadh against William Scull hammered the last nail in the coffin. Avoiding a direct scuffle, the Cuban-German fighter ran circles around the ring. Ideally, Canelo should have wound up the bout inside the distance. Instead, he took his own time chasing Scull, cutting a sorry figure who couldn’t control an inferior fighter.

And that was enough for a few to predict. “He couldn’t catch a chicken in his last fight…. He couldn’t catch a chicken, so how the hell are you going to catch Crawford?” said former world champion Tim Bradley.

Make way! The Mexican Monster is here now

Quite a few compelling arguments validate David Benavidez’s candidacy as the heir to Mexico’s boxing throne. Ring Magazine’s Mike Coppinger recently proclaimed him the ‘new face of American boxing.’ “I think it’s going to be David Benavidez. I just do. I think Benavidez has everything. He’s charismatic. He wants to fight everybody. He has the fighting style,” the boxing insider said.

Claims like these only reinforce the strong impression of the WBC light heavyweight champion, aptly nicknamed the ‘Mexican Monster.’

Unlike Canelo, who holds championships in four weight classes, Benavidez has won titles in only two. But his achievements speak louder than his resume. With wins over Caleb Plant, David Morrell, and Demetrius Andrade, whom Canelo once refused to fight, Benavidez has become the most feared name in boxing.

The fight with Canelo Alvarez remained his primary goal. And to clinch the bout, he labored. Still, it remained elusive. Finally frustrated, he moved up a division, where a slugfest against David Morrell Jr. left no more doubts about his ring prowess.

David Benavidez had arrived. Recently, he revealed—instead of moving down to 168 pounds, he would rather chase the big fights against Artur Beterbiev and his former sparring partner Dmitry Bivol.

Wrapping up the action

Doubts linger. David Benavidez has an opportunity to go down and beat Canelo. It’s a fight many fans have been asking for a long time. But the fact remains, he wants to carve out his legacy on his own terms. That Benavidez doesn’t need Canelo to prove himself shows he deserves to be the new face of Mexican boxing.

Though an American, he’s very proud of his Mexican heritage and has never shied away from showing his love for the culture and traditions of the land from which his father came. Though there are other worthy candidates, both Mexican and Mexican-American, like Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, Vergil Ortiz Jr., and Gilberto Ramírez, none quite match the appeal of the ‘Mexican Monster’ at the moment.

The debate may continue. But the talks have already emerged.

Mexico’s proud boxing tradition has given the world legends. Fights of Salvador Sanchez and Julio Cesar Chavez still thrill diehard fans. Even when Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez suffered defeats, their aura endured.

But Canelo’s recent fall—mind in the ring, body elsewhere—seems to threaten his legacy.

What’s your take? Do you think David Benavidez has rightfully replaced Canelo Alvarez as the next face of Mexican boxing?