CANELO ALVAREZ and Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr are in talks over a potential catchweight fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend next year, it has been reported.
Both sides have told ESPN that they have been in talks for a few weeks over a May 6 meeting at some sort of catchweight above 160lbs.
Chavez ended an extended hiatus from the sport at the weekend by outpointing Dominik Britsch over 10 rounds, weighing in at 168lbs for the contest. Canelo currently holds the WBO world super-welterweight title and has never fought above 155lbs, a catchweight he boxed at to win the WBC middleweight title.
Chavez is a former middleweight champion himself but has weighed 167.5lbs or heavier for his past five fights. The son of legend Julio Cesar Chavez has struggled with weight issues the past and it is believed the two sides are working on a catchweight around the 164/165lbs mark.
The news contradicts a lot of the rhetoric from Golden Boy, who promote Canelo, about a potential fight with Gennady Golovkin. They claim Alvarez requires time to acclimate to 160lbs before facing Golovkin – however now they are considering have him jump straight into a fight contested at an even higher weight.
Of course, Chavez is no Golovkin but the talks certainly convey that Alvarez has outgrown the 154lb division, where he most recently dismantled Liam Smith in September.
Beside the weight, Golden Boy would also have to find a way to work with Chavez’s advisor, Al Haymon, who they sued earlier in the year for $300m.
Alvarez has been sidelined since his win over Smith after fracturing his thumb during the fight, scuppering HBO’s plans to have him box on December 10. There was talk of him returning in February, however it now seems the wait for his return could be extended until May if a deal to face his compatriot is made.
It would certainly be a huge event for Mexican boxing, given that Canelo and Chavez are the two biggest active boxers from the fight-crazed country, though Canelo is likely to receive more criticism for not yet facing ‘GGG’.
