Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez suffered the first defeat of his career thirteen years ago, falling short against the great Floyd Mayweather.

The pair clashed on September 14, 2013 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in a fight billed as ‘The One.’ Mayweather entered as the unbeaten pound-for-pound number one and the sport’s biggest draw, while Canelo, just 23 at the time, brought an undefeated record and unified super-welterweight titles. It was contested at a catchweight of 152lbs, and generated huge commercial interest as a clash between the established king and boxing’s fastest rising star.

Mayweather delivered a complete performance, using his trademark defence, footwork and timing to control the distance throughout and repeatedly beat Canelo to the punch with sharp counters and accurate combinations. Alvarez struggled to cut off the ring or land cleanly.

The American won by majority decision – judge C.J. Ross’ draw being widely criticised – but the performance itself was clear-cut and reinforced his status as the best fighter in the world.

Some feel it was shrewd matchmaking, with Mayweather adding a great name to his record before he reached his peak. Others disagree, believing Floyd would always have the beating of Alvarez.

In an interview with Oso Trava, Alvarez said that he believes that experience, not skill, was the defining factor that night in Las Vegas. The Mexican icon also revealed that suffering his first defeated ‘hurt’ him, but he was able to refocus by putting it into perspective.

“I got extremely frustrated, right? Because I felt capable – I felt capable of beating the best in the world at 23 years old. And I was capable, I just didn’t have the right experience, and I realised that afterward.

“It hurt me a lot because, however you want to call it, it hits your ego as a fighter – what you wanted to be, what you visualised that didn’t happen. And yeah, it hurt a lot, it hit me really hard, and maybe I went through some level of depression. I don’t know if there are levels of depression, but yeah, maybe I did.

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“But then, thinking alone at home – because I like having my time alone – thinking, I said, ‘Alright, let me get myself together, ground myself, and think: I didn’t lose to just anyone, I lost to the best in the world. I’m 23 years old, and he practically didn’t do anything to me.’

“I told myself that’s not going to stop me from being the best in the world one day.”

Asked what he lacked at 23 that he later gained, Canelo said confidence.

“Confidence. I think confidence more than anything as a fighter = not mentally, because mentally I was fine – but confidence. More fights in those kinds of scenarios, because it’s different. That would have helped me win.”

In 2026, Canelo must bounce back from defeat once again. He is set to return to the ring in September for the first time since losing his undisputed super-middleweight titles to Terence Crawford.

On March 11th, the New England Patriots traded former Minnesota Vikings center Garrett Bradbury to the Chicago Bears for a 5th-Round pick. Six weeks later, Chicago drafted a rookie center who will probably steal Bradbury’s job.

Chicago added Bradbury for stability, but Jones gives the Bears a younger center option right away.

The Bears aren’t goofing around at center this offseason; they now have Bradbury and Iowa rookie Logan Jones.

Jones Creates a New Center Battle in Chicago

It’s an interior offensive line mystery in the Windy City.

Jones over Bradbury?

The Bears used a 2nd-Round pick on Friday night to get Jones. Second-round centers play; that’s actually quite early to draft a man from the position.

SI.com‘s Jerry Markarian wrote Sunday, “Virtually everyone expected the Chicago Bears to be in the market for a developmental center in the 2026 NFL Draft. Veteran trade acquisition Garrett Bradbury, whom they shipped a fifth-round pick for shortly after Drew Dalman’s abrupt retirement, only has one year remaining on his contract, after all. With that said, very few expected them to prioritize the position in the second round.”

“They felt the value of Iowa center Logan Jones, who was widely considered the best center in this year’s class, was too good to pass up at pick 57. They completely changed the shape of the center room in the process. Unlike some of the other options that would’ve come into play later in the draft, he has a legitimate shot to start from day one.”

And just like that, there’s a center camp battle on the horizon.

The Jones Scouting Report

Because the Vikings will eventually see Jones twice annually, it’s vital to know what he’s made of.

The rookie lineman’s age, 24, might’ve made him less appealing to some teams, as front offices typically prefer more time to develop prospects. Jones’s accelerated timeline means he’ll be expected to contribute early and consistently from Day One. Teams simply won’t draft an older rookie center to stash him for development; his value hinges entirely on his immediate readiness to play. That’s why Bradbury should be concerned.

This need for immediate impact aligns well with his playing style. Having started 50 games in college, Jones was very comfortable in a zone-based system, which effectively highlights his movement skills. He demonstrates the ability to execute reach blocks, get to the second level, and handle himself effectively in open space — all traits that seamlessly fit offenses running frequent outside zone schemes. If Bears skipper Ben Johnson wanted Jones in Round 2, he’s probably the right guy. Johnson isn’t known for poor offensive thinking.

Despite his overall frame, Jones’s 300-pound weight is considered on the lighter side for a center. Some evaluators have even compared him to a lighter version of Tyler Linderbaum.

The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler on Jones: “Jones is an undersized, sawed-off blocker with aggressive technique and athletic ability, although his sustain struggles might be tough to overcome. A center-only prospect, he is a mid-round version of Linderbaum. He gave up only one sack over his junior and senior seasons and had a prolific 2025 season, taking home the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center.”

“He was a significant factor in the Hawkeyes winning the 2025 Joe Moore Award as college football’s best offensive line. Jones is lightning quick in his snap-to-step process and has an instinctive feel for leverage and blocking angles. With his vise-grip hands, he can latch, drive his feet and torque defenders to create running room.”

Most expected Jones to be drafted in Round 3, but the Bears pushed the envelope a round early.

Brugler added, “Though he has terrific range and recovery quickness, his lack of length stands out on reach blocks and when attempting to combat powerful defensive tackles in a phone booth. His competitive temperament and toughness are unquestioned — he taught himself to snap with his left hand while managing a right-hand injury in 2024.”

Dalman’s Retirement

Why are the Bears in this situation? Simple — their 2025 keynote free-agent acquisition retired. At age 27, Dalman called it quits out of nowhere in early March. Chicago responded by trading for Bradbury, a decent deal for a 5th-Round pick.

Dalman was actually a Vikings free-agent target in March 2025, according to some popular consensus, but the Bears won the sweepstakes, and Minnesota pivoted to Ryan Kelly, who also retired in March.

Without Dalman and his fancy 77.5 grade last season from Pro Football Focus, Chicago needed a replacement center. Now, it has Bradbury and Jones.

Bradbury as a Sideways Trade Option for MIN?

Bradbury doesn’t have 100% support in Minnesota because of his suspect pass protection, but there is a world where the Bears nominate Jones as their Week 1 starter in August or September and trade Bradbury. While Bradbury isn’t elite, he should start on one of the NFL’s 32 teams.

The Vikings, meanwhile, tentatively have Blake Brandel lined up as the starting center for 2026, with a side dish of youngsters Michael Jurgens and rookie Gavin Gerhardt. Chicago and Minnesota rarely do trade business, but there’s a remote chance that interim general manager Rob Brzezinski could trade a 6th-Rounder or so to the Bears for Bradbury if the Vikings coaching staff determines Brandel, Jurgens, or Gerhardt aren’t best for the 2026 roster.

Bradbury will turn 31 in June.

The Gold Coast-based Renita Beaton sees Wednesday’s Voodoo Ranger Handicap at Ipswich as a prime third-up spot for Smart As Smart, heightening her frustration with the wide gate drawn.

For the 1710m benchmark 70 affair, the Smart Missile gelding got barrier 12 in a field of 12 with one reserve.

She is prepared to proceed with the six-year-old Ipswich double winner only in the event of multiple scratchings.

“We’ve had to run him from terrible draws in the past and he’s just been one of the most unlucky horses and I just don’t want to do that to his owners again,” Beaton said.

“Look, we might draw bad again next time and you have to go around, but if I can protect him for one more run I will.

“We’ll wait until tomorrow to see if there are any scratchings and if there is we may run him.”

Jace McMurray will handle the ride on Smart As Smart if he goes, claiming 2kg for a 59kg impost.

His return saw a Class 5 triumph at 1350m on Doomben on April 1, succeeded by a luckless second over 1640m in the same level two weeks later.

Having sourced the horse from Ron Quinton a shade over two years prior, Beaton is optimistic about his third-up prospects, citing peak condition regardless of location.

“He’s in really good order, he’s always been such a consistent horse for me,” Beaton said.

“Every time I take him to the races he seems to show up and he’s very honest.

“He’s in very good order, he’s racing very well and consistently and there’s no reason why he won’t go and do that again.”

Find racing odds for the Voodoo Ranger Handicap via leading betting sites.