The End of an Era, According to the Networks
It seems that last Saturday, in Las Vegas, the boxing universe decided to get on the train of absolute chaos. Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, our national hero who looked more like a character from a video game with maxed out stats, fell by unanimous decision against Terence Crawford. Yes, the same Crawford who moved up two weight classes as if he were just changing players, not to fight for the undisputed super middleweight title. The world is upside down, people.
And as in every modern Greek tragedy (or good soap opera), the critics came out of their rabbit hole hungrier than an influencer at a detox event. The captain of team hate, David Faitelson, did not even wait for the ring to cool down before releasing his thread on X (formerly Twitter, for the boomers who still call him that). The Televisa host, famous for his verbal confrontations with the tapatío, decided that it was the perfect time to hit the mother of the myth in capital letters.
The Tweet that Ignited the Tinder
In what we can only describe as a masterclass in passive-aggressive sarcasm, Faitelson dropped the bomb: “‘Canelo’ says he takes risks… What risk? Bringing a boxer up two divisions? Collecting a purse of more than 100 million dollars?“. But wait, the party doesn’t end there. He finished with the low blow of the century: “Saúl Álvarez was always a limited boxer with great marketing capacity. The myth is ending.” Ouch! That hurt more than a hook to the liver without bandages.
The truth is that, removing the poison, it puts on the table a debate that many fans have been having for years in their WhatsApp groups: Is Canelo a brilliantly packaged marketing product or a pure boxing talent? Faitelson clearly votes for the first option. And with this weekend’s loss, his argument gained more traction than a Rocky training montage.
The most ironic thing about this whole story is that Terence Crawford, the executioner of the night, made history by becoming the first boxer in the four-belt era to unify championships in three different divisions. In other words, he gained weight like it was nothing and not only won, but wrote his name in the record books in gold letters. Someone tell Canelo that not just anyone can do that, no matter how much money they have in the bag.
Canelo’s Answer: A Self-Help Chapter
For his part, Álvarez himself, who must have the resilience of a Disney character, came out with a phrase that is already a candidate for the book of commonplaces: “a defeat does not define me.” Of course not, champion, but it gives your haters enough material for the next memes. He added that he feels strong and happy about the legacy he has already left in boxing. Which is true, no one can take away his multiple titles and epic fights… but it is also true that boxing is the most volatile sport in the world, where they go from idol to meme in less than it takes a technical knockout.
The big unknown now, the question that has everyone on tenterhooks (or at least those of us who follow this sport for a change from football), is what Canelo will do to redeem his image. What will be your next date and who will be the chosen rival to try to erase this surprising defeat from collective memory? Because let’s be honest, in the age of the internet, nothing ever dies. A screenshot of Faitelson’s tweet will haunt him until the end of his days, or at least until his next big victory.
Meanwhile, the world of boxing continues to spin, proving once again that it is the most unpredictable and dramatic reality show that exists. And we, here, with our popcorn, watching the next chapter of this never-ending saga unfold. Will we be witnessing the true decline of a legend, or just a bad day at the office for Mexico’s most famous redhead? Time, and the next pay-per-view, will tell.
Do you agree with the scathing criticism or do you think it is just opportunistic hate? Share this article on your networks and tag that boxing fan friend you always debate with. Explore more of our sports content so you don’t miss any round of this controversy.
