Canelo not likely to match Pacquiao's record as eight-division champ, says analyst

Manny Pacquiao’s achievement as boxing’s lone eight-division world champion is not likely to be matched anytime soon, according to veteran boxing analyst Atty. Ed Tolentino.

Though the current pound-for-pound no.1 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is already gunning for a world title in a fifth weight class when he takes on WBC world cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu, Tolentino stressed that breaking Pacquiao’s feat is probably impossible for the Mexican superstar.

“I think Canelo is maxed out at cruiserweight. He even said it himself that he would not go up to the 200-pound limit. The problem with Canelo, he is placed in the middle of weight classes,” the veteran analyst said.

“Unlike Manny, who came from the lowest so there are enough divisions for him to go up. Canelo got stuck in the middle, he is going to cruiserweight and after that heavyweight. Where is he going? It is unlikely. He is maxed out.”

While Tolentino also believes that records are meant to be broken, he is also convinced that whoever tries to achieve the same feat if not more will have to go through hell and back.

“It will be tough to break Manny Pacquiao's record of having titles in eight divisions. They say that records are meant to be broken, but it will take some time if ever it happens. It is not going to be easy.”

—JMB, GMA News