While the eyes of the world may be on the World Cup right now, that hasn’t stopped MMA fans from being on the lookout for the sport’s next big crossover star, and fans think they’ve found it in boxing great Canelo Alvarez, who spent last night being big-mad on Twitter over non-existent offenses, and now has fans itching to see what he can do in the cage. Football GOAT Lionel Messi was the recipient of Alvarez’s anger after a video emerged of Argentina’s celebrations of their victory over Mexico, won by a stunning Messi goal to keep one of the tournament favorites alive for progression. While taking off his boots, Messi inadvertently grazed the jersey he had recently received in an exchange with a Mexican player, leading the multi-time and multi-weight class professional fighter to threaten violence if he ever sees the ballplayer in person.
In reviewing footage of the incident which triggered the violent tweets, it’s easy to understand fan excitement. Not only does Alvarez demonstrate flag-humping jingoism, a might-makes-right worldview and microscopically thin skin, but also the ability to combine them all together cohesively, which is key for any elite mixed martial artist. Messi, on the other hand, seems ill-suited for a post-career tour of the celebrity combat sports circuit, as his decision to not respond to the tweet, and instead go back to the hotel and rest up for more matches, shows his true cowardice.