By: Sean Crose
“These last few days I got carried away with the passion and the love I feel for my country,” Canelo Alvarez posted on social media Wednesday, “and I made comments that were out of order so I want to apologize to Messi and the people of Argentina.” Hopefully, that will be the end of that. “Every day we learn something new,” the fighter added, “and this time it was me who did.” Canelo, who generally isn’t known to embarrass himself took things a bit overboard earlier this week after Argentina defeated Mexico in the World Cup.
A video emerged of the Argentine team celebrating their win in the locker room on Sunday. Canelo then accused Argentinian player Lionel Messi of desecrating a team Mexico shirt in the footage. Boxing Insider wrote that: “In fairness, the video appears to show Messi absentmindedly pushing aside a garment with his foot while his teammates sing around him.” Canelo, however, clearly disagreed.
“Did you guys see Messi cleaning the floor with our jersey and flag?” the red haired star tweeted. He then added that Messi “better pray to God that I don’t find him. Just like I respect Argentina, he has to respect Mexico! I’m not talking about the country, just about the b——t that Messi did.” Suffice to say the tweets sent the internet ablaze. Even Mexico’s team captain made it a point to speak up on behalf of Messi. “Perhaps Canelo does not understand what is experienced in a locker room,” CNN quotes Andrés Guardado as saying.
Suffice to say, no one who follows sports would be surprised to learn fans overreact. What’s more, the World Cup pits nation against nation. Still, being a fighter, Canelo’s words carried with them an inherent sense of menace. Again, however, the man has apologized. What’s more, Canelo has never been known to have himself a big mouth. As Canelo himself makes clear, everyone comes up short at times.
Meanwhile the multi-division titlist is healing nicely from recent surgery to his left hand. Having just bested arch rival Gennady Golovkin in their third fight this past autumn, Canelo hopes to make a return to the ring in the spring. John Ryder has been mentioned as a possible opponent, as has Dmitry Bivol, the WBA light heavyweight titlist who bested Canelo last year, handing boxing’s biggest star only his second loss in 62 fights.
