Canelo Alvarez’s Next Fight – Who Does He Fight?
Canelo Alvarez’s next fight has still not been announced, and there is speculation over who he could box next.
The Mexican secured a unanimous decision win over Jaime Munguia to remain the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion. The fight came under fire after fans wanted Canelo to box David Benavidez. The Mexican Monster has been the WBC Super Middleweight Interim Champion for over two years. Canelo has said he will only box him for $150-200 million. The Saudis have not stated that they would put up the numbers, ruling that fight out.
Canelo’s Options
The Saudis are keen on making Canelo face Terence Crawford. Bud boxes Israil Madrimov on August 3 in a WBA Junior Middleweight Clash. A win could see Crawford target Canelo by jumping up two weight classes. However, Canelo has previously said he gets no credit for beating a 147 fighter, making that unlikely unless he takes it as an alternative to the Benavidez fight.
Canelo was ordered to face his IBF mandatory William Scull. A deal was agreed, but reports indicate it is a step-aside deal. Edgar Berlanga and Jermall Charlo were mentioned as the alternatives. Berlanga is undefeated, with a big Puerto Rican fanbase, and it is allowing that to sell on Mexican Independence Day. Meanwhile, Charlo’s inactivity makes that less appealing.
He only returned to the ring last year after more than two years away from the sport due to mental health. He beat Jose Benavidez Jr. on his return, but that is not enough for him to prepare for Canelo.
The leading candidate is Chris Eubank Jr. He has not boxed since beating Liam Smith last year in their rematch.
Canelo Vs. Eubank
That was Eubank’s first fight since working with Crawford’s trainer, Brain McIntyre. Eubank has now signed a deal with BOXXER, as he targets the biggest fights. Reports indicated that Eubank was in talks to face Canelo. The fight would sell out in the UK, but Canelo is likely to want to fight in the US. The fight would struggle to sell in the US. But BOXXER’S Ben Shalom remains confident that the fight can go ahead.
“We have talked about [staging the fight in the UK]. The difficulty we’ve had with that one is that with the ‘AJ’ [versus Daniel Dubois] card on September 21 it’s hard to envision another stadium card a week either side of that. That’s been the main barrier.
“I think Canelo knows that if he’s to box in the UK, which he is attracted to for the sake of his legacy, then Eubank is the only opponent who could generate the sort of numbers that he’d want and the spectacle he’d want. That is ongoing and being talked about, but the initial offer has all been around Las Vegas in September,” Shalom said
Canelo is looking for the fights that generate the most amount of money for the least amount of risk. At 33, Canelo is looking to wrap up his career without taking too many risks. That is understandable, but it may come at the expense of fans not getting the best fights.
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