Critics continue to question where he belongs because of losses to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Dmitry Bivol, and Terence Crawford, along with criticism tied to some of the biggest fights fans believed should have happened earlier, especially against David Benavidez.

Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez was asked by Luis Parra where he ranks Canelo among the greatest Mexican fighters ever, and Chavez placed him inside his top group.

“Not including me? Well, look, Mexico has been so great. [Salvador] Sánchez, [Rubén] Olivares, [José] ’Mantequilla’ Nápoles, [Marco Antonio] Barrera, [Erik] Morales, Canelo, [Humberto] ‘Chiquita’ Gonzalez, Ricardo ‘Finito’ López,” said Chavez to Luis Parra’s YouTube channel about where Canelo rates among the top Mexican greats of the past.

“Yes, [Canelo belongs in the top 10], of course, man.”

The comments are likely to keep the debate going because Chavez gave Canelo respect while stopping short of placing him near the very top tier occupied by fighters like Salvador Sanchez and Chavez himself.

Chávez built his reputation during an era when elite Mexican fighters were expected to face dangerous opposition regularly and fight multiple times each year. That standard is part of the reason debates around Canelo’s standing continue to divide older fans despite his commercial success and championship record.

Canelo returns September 12 against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh.