Top 5 KO wins of Canelo Alvarez’s career

5. Canelo Alvarez KO 9 Jeferson Luis Goncalo

For the first entry on our list, style trumped substance. Indeed, Jeferson Luis Goncalo is hardly a foe Canelo Alvarez will be remembered for destroying, but Alvarez nearly decapitated Goncalo with a pair of right hands, the last one sending the Brazilian crashing to the mat and forcing the referee to waive the count. This was early indication that Canelo, who was still a teenager at the time, could grow into a truly frightening power puncher.

Other considerations for the number five spot were Canelo’s stoppages of Josesito Lopez and Kermit Cintron, which were far more significant victories. While Canelo certainly overwhelmed both Lopez and Cintron, he failed to score the kind of one-punch stoppage that defines the rest of this list.

But in terms of level of opposition, the Goncalo fight is a microcosm of Canelo’s career prior to his fight against Austin Trout. Fortunately, Canelo has proven that he has the substance to match the style he’s exhibited against overmatched foes. The question now, though, is whether Canelo, who is entering his athletic prime, can continue to produce the same kind of knockout as the one he scored over Goncalo as an 18-year old versus elite and physically worthy rivals.

If he can, Alvarez will forge a unique legacy. But the time to act is now, and the rest of this list is a perfect indication of why he must exclusively fight the likes of Gennady Golovkin going forward (should he defeat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., of course).