Canelo Alvarez Is 'Better Than Mike Tyson, Can Beat Anthony Joshua,' Says Ex-Opponent's Trainer

KEY POINTS

Avni Yildirim's trainer Ahmet Oner heaped praise on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez
Oner thinks Alvarez is better than Mike Tyson and could eclipse a current world heavyweight champion
Some in boxing believe the super middleweight champ can hurt a heavyweight

After witnessing his pupil being stopped in a one-sided fight, Avni Yildirim’s trainer Ahmet Oner spoke highly of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Just more than a week after Alvarez made easy work on the WBC-mandated super middleweight title challenger Yildirim, the Turkish fighter’s coach Oner made several shocking claims about the Mexican boxing superstar.

Alvarez is likely to take on some of the best world champions in his division. For Oner, none of them will be able to match or stop the arsenal of his fighter’s most recent opponent.

“Canelo [Alvarez] is very strong,” Oner emphasized. “Put in Jermall Charlo, Dirrell, Billy Joe Saunders. All of them will be defeated by Canelo. He is a monster. He will never lose to minor boxers. I don’t think anyone can beat him in the division.”

“There is only one Canelo,” he added. “Avni [Yildirim] fought on a big stage against Chris Eubank and lost, but not like against Canelo.”

Oner’s another bold claim will surely raise a couple of eyebrows as he certainly thinks Alvarez is “better than Mike Tyson.”

The trainer even put his money on Alvarez had the multi-division champ competed in the heavyweight division. Based on Oner’s prediction, the 30-year-old would surely beat the likes of Anthony Joshua.

“[Canelo’s] He’s better than Mike Tyson, more solid,” Oner claimed. “If he was bigger, he could even beat Anthony Joshua. Canelo is in a different league.”

Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez became the unified world super middleweight champion overcoming a stark height difference with a 12-round beatdown of the previously undefeated Callum Smith in San Antonio, Texas GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Steve Marcus

This wasn’t the first time Alvarez has been thought of as a heavyweight. There has been a few accounts in the past that claim the Mexican can hurt a legitimate heavyweight fighter.

“Canelo [Alvarez] is a very small fighter, but he can damage any heavyweight with his punch,” WBA-NABO heavyweight champ Frank Sanchez, who used to spar with Alvarez, said in December. “I keep telling him ‘you hit like a heavyweight’.”

Oner may have been still in a state of shock following Alvarez’s dismantling of Yildirim. However, according to Hall Of Fame trainer Teddy Atlas, who was one of the first coaches of Tyson, there shouldn’t be so much buzz about Alvarez’s win over Yildirim.

For Atlas, the matchmakers did a horrible job putting Alvarez inside the ring with a "can."

“The commentators are speculating what it will take to beat Canelo, I have an idea; start with better opposition,” he stated. “I love Canelo, but in these type fights he can just do whatever he wants, as if you were in gym hitting the bag.”