CANELO ALVAREZ could be in line for a fight at a fifth different weight class.
The 32-year-old had been heavily linked to a rematch against Dmitry Bivol in September, and told the boxing world after beating John Ryder last month that the Russian was his main target.
“Everybody knows we want Bivol, the rematch with Bivol. If the fight with Bivol don’t happen, then we’ll see [about fighting someone else]. I’m able to fight everybody. Yeah, [I want it at] 175…. same rules, same terms, same everything. I just want it that way.”
However, the focus of Team Bivol appears to have changed. Bivol’s manager Vadim Kornilov said recently that their own efforts were concentrated on securing a winner takes all clash against his biggest rival at 175lbs Artur Beterbiev.
“A rematch can’t happen on the same terms as the fight you lost. It is absurd. We are looking forward. Artur Beterbiev is our target,” Kornilov told ESPN Knockout.
A move to cruiserweight is one move that has been discussed in the past for Canelo and negotiations are well underway for a fight against WBC cruiserweight titlist Badou Jack in Saudi Arabia.
Jack’s representatives Skill Challenge Entertainment revealed to Boxing Scene that talks are ongoing.
“We are currently in discussion with Canelo’s team,” said Amer Abdullah, head of boxing at Skill Challenge.
“I am talking directly to them and of course we represent Badou as a Skill Challenge Promotions athlete. The talks are going very well.
“I’m hoping that the talks progress and I think we have a lot of the negotiations and terms met with everybody satisfied. There are one or two more sticking points that I’m hoping won’t turn out to be sticking points. But Canelo is a very established guy and his team know what they’re doing.”
Jack, 39, stopped Ilunga Makabu in February this year to win the WBC cruiserweight belt. Makabu, the former WBC champion, had been mooted as an opponent for Canelo after a request was approved by the World Boxing Council in November 2021 for the fight to take place. The potential match=up eventually petered out with the Mexican going on to face Bivol at light-heavyweight instead.
“Sometimes fights don’t work out because of the little things that come at the end and sometimes everybody is able to come to a mutual understanding and agree it,” Abdullah said.
“I’m an internal optimist so I always look for the best-case scenario. I’m hoping a Badou Jack v Canelo fight does work out. It would not be in September though.”
