Saul “Canelo” Alvarez lists Muhammad Ali, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya among favorite boxers

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By Mick Akers

With a list of all-time greats as his favorite boxers, WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is working his way towards his name being rightfully mentioned among his heroes if his career keeps progressing the way it has so far.

The 22-year-old Mexican-born fighter will take on WBA junior middleweight champ, Austin Trout on April 20 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, in a bout that could set up a Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega-fight in September for Canelo.

An added incentive for Canelo beating trout, not that he needs one, would be avenging his brother Rogoberto Alvarez’s loss to Trout in 2011, where Trout won the vacant WBA strap.

Canelo (41-0-1, 30 KOs) already has the offensive skill to be in the ring with any fighter, but his defense is what could get him into trouble in a bout with a savy defensive-minded foe like Mayweather.

As Alvarez continues to progress in his career, fighting increasingly better fighters, his defense will become a huge part of his fight plans going forward.

If Canelo keeps up at the pace his career is moving forward today, he could surpass two of his favorite fighters, Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya, as the best Mexican fighter of all-time.

Beating Trout (26-0, 14 KOs) in April and then being able to hand Mayweather the first loss of his pro career, if that bout pans out, could get Canelo to that level of an elite fighter quicker than anyone could have expected.