Living legend Canelo Alvarez reached the status of undisputed champion at super middleweight in November 2021. However, as he heads into a title defense against the unbeaten Edgar Berlanga on September 14, the Mexican superstar no longer carries that distinction.
Reaching the goal of undisputed in any weight class has obvious upside. No other fighter can claim to be a world champion in your division, and you make history for yourself and your country. Next to becoming the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, there is no bigger achievement in boxing.
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However, as hard as it is to win all the governing body titles, it's equally as hard to hold on to them. From a financial standpoint, all four organizations charge sanctioning fees (between 2% and 3% of a purse), which can often venture into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Also, the governing bodies periodically designate mandatory challengers, and those assignments aren't always attractive.
The Sporting News takes a deep dive into the reason why Canelo is no longer undisputed champion.
Why is Canelo no longer the undisputed champion?
Canelo no longer holds the IBF version of the title. To be considered undisputed, you must hold IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO championships in a single division.
Why did the IBF strip Canelo of their title?
In May, the IBF ordered Canelo to defend against Germany-based Cuban William Scull. Even though Scull is undefeated in 22 fights, he's a relatively unknown quantity and the pound-for-pound star had no interest in going ahead with the fight.
Subsequently, the IBF stripped Canelo of their version of the title, paving the way for Scull to face Vladimir Shishkin for the vacant championship later this year. Despite losing one of his titles, Canelo remains the true champion in the division.
"There are levels. There are stars and there are superstars. They make the championship, not the championship makes them," said an embattled Canelo on The Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast shortly after the IBF made their decision.
"Who is William Scull? I never hear about him. I'm not gonna do whatever they want. I'm gonna do whatever I want. Because I deserve it, because of all I have done."
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Will Canelo be the undisputed champion again?
Given the IBF's decision, it's unlikely that Canelo would want to fight for that title again. He doesn't take infringements lightly.
However, if the Mexican hero ever returns to light heavyweight, then the opportunity to fight for all four belts in that division could be too tempting to pass up. The 175-pound belts are due to be consolidated when IBF, WBA and WBO champ Artur Beterbiev faces WBC counterpart Dmitry Bivol on October 12 in Riyadh.
