Will Canelo Alvarez Become Boxing's Biggest Star After Miguel Cotto Showdown?

Boxing is built on the bones of its veterans giving way to a new crop of young and hungry prospects, with each generation invigorated by the blood of its elders. It's a sport where no one rides off into the sunset. Hall of Famers don't get the luxury of deciding it's time to call it quits. They are pushed out, forcibly, by the next wave of champions.

To be the man, you have to beat the man. Oscar De La Hoya beat Julio Cesar Chavez. He, in turn, passed the crown to Floyd Mayweather Jr. when it was his time. It's always been that way—until now.

When it came time for Mayweather to yield his place at the top of the sport, there was no one there to assume the mantle. The next guy in line, in this case Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (45-1-1, 32 KOs), couldn't manage to budge him from atop the mountain.

More and more, it looks like no one will.

The king will, in almost unprecedented fashion, leave the world's most brutal sport with his head held high and his legacy intact. What happens, then, to the heir apparent? 

On November 21 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Canelo will stake his claim as the next big thing against veteran champion Miguel Cotto (40-4, 33 KOs), HBO Boxing announced Thursday. He will do so without the benefit of removing the current ruler from his throne.

Will that matter? Can Alvarez do an end around and position himself as boxing's next big star without beating either of its current greats, Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao?

He has boyish good looks, skills that pay the bills and a rare physical charisma. Identified as a potential star early in his career, Alvarez became a major name in Mexico before heading north of the border and building a second significant fanbase in the United States.

Alvarez has almost all of the intangibles that turn a good boxer into a breakout megastar. But as his fight with Cotto approaches, his future as boxing's next golden boy rests on all of the things he's missing rather than the many things he has. 

Name	Saul Alvarez	Miguel Cotto
Age	25	34
Height	5'9"	5'7"
Weight	154-160 lbs	147-160 lbs
Reach	70.5"	67"
Record	45-1-1 (32 KO)	40-4 (33 KO)
Rounds Fought	314	309

As Alvarez attempts to move from niche stardom into the American mainstream, his poor grasp of the English language will become increasingly problematic. Sure, Cotto’s and Pacquiao’s English was missing in action in early fights as they developed their audience, but they eventually improved enough that they could make it through interviews.

Canelo, it seems, has no inclination to do as much.

Hispanic population growth in the United States shields him from the consequences of this language barrier. But as he continues to push beyond the boundaries of his comfortable position as "Hispanic favorite," he'll need to at least try his hand at speaking the primary language of the largest boxing market in the world.

Of course, demographics, charisma and fame are all secondary factors. When it comes to securing a spot as boxing's biggest star, one thing matters more than everything else combined: Can you fight? 

Elite superstar fighters are expected to perform. Mayweather, Pacquiao, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Sugar Ray Leonard all did virtually superhuman things in the ring. Once a star is established at that level, he is expected to take all comers across styles and continents. And it's here that Alvarez falls short. If he fails to assume the throne, it won't be because he's not handsome or charismatic enough. It won't be because his English is nonexistent.

It will be because he's simply not good enough.

Against Mayweather, Alvarez was dominated on most observers' scorecards. He fought entirely the wrong sort of fight with Floyd, choosing to go backward and attempt to parry and counter the master technician. Although most people have struggled with Mayweather, Alvarez put in a similar performance against Austin Trout nine months earlier. He was given an unpopular decision many felt he had lost.

Flash forward again to 2014, and Canelo barely eked out a decision win against Erislandy Lara. The official record for Alvarez against top-level junior middleweights is 2-1. It could easily be 0-3.

Since then, Canelo has added a highlight-reel knockout to his resume, but it came against James Kirkland, a lesser fighter known to leave himself open to dangerous punches. It'll take more than that to build the case that he's boxing's brightest attraction. 

Still just 25 years old, you'd expect Canelo to be in the middle of his growth curve, with his best days as a fighter in front of him. And while most fighters are still learning their craft at that age, Canelo is a very different 25 years of age—a 47-fight veteran who has seen it all in the ring and beyond.

To put that in perspective, Canelo has had three more pro fights at age 25 than Lennox Lewis did in his entire professional career. While it is possible that he may still evolve and change, there’s also a good likelihood that we’re seeing, by and large, Alvarez as a mostly finished product. His pie could be baked—the flavor long since past changing.

Whether he ultimately takes a spot in the long line of boxing legends won't be determined this November alone, but the Cotto fight provides a great opportunity for Canelo to make a statement that he belongs among the greats.

On paper, Cotto represents a top-shelf fighter with tremendous offensive ability, the kind of fighter who can walk Canelo down and engage him in trench warfare. Action is not just promised—it's actually possible. 

"Historically, megafights are made because fans demand them," Alvarez said in a statement. "In this case, the fans have spoken out, longing for this fight, and it is my pleasure to say that it is finally happening. All fights at this level are very important, but this fight in particular has something more. It will hold a special place in history as part of the big rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico, and I promise all the fans that this is going to be an event that will not disappoint."

While there is every expectation this fight will deliver, it will do little to answer lingering questions about Canelo's ability to sit the throne. This fight almost happened in 2012, with boxing pundits decrying it as an old Cotto being turned into a sacrificial lamb against someone he couldn’t possibly compete with.

A pair of handpicked opponents and a washed-up middleweight champion later, the narrative has flipped back, and excitement predominates. The one thing that hasn’t changed? The age difference between the fighters. Canelo is still young and in his prime. Cotto (34) has only gotten older.

Canelo may end up being the next big thing. But he won't make his case against Cotto. To be the man, Canelo must face down the best in the world in his prime. A win over Cotto is a starting point—not a destination.

Jonathan Snowden covers combat sports for Bleacher Report.