Following his comeback win against Christian Mbilli, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and his team are weighing his options for how 2027 will play out.
Alvarez lost his undisputed title at super-middleweight last September to Terence Crawford but remained ranked number one by most sanctioning bodies.
When Mbilli was elevated from interim to full champion by the WBC after Crawford’s retirement, it made sense for Alvarez to challenge him upon his return, and the Mexican produced a relatively straightforward points win to win back his old belt.
While there are now potential unifications and defences against rising stars on the table, there is a general feeling that Canelo may look for either a more high-profile name or a chance to add to his already substantial legacy.
Canelo has fought twice in the division before, beating Sergey Kovalev but losing to Dmitry Bivol.
Hutchison responded positively, saying he would happily make the fight but warned that Canelo would be given ‘a boxing lesson.’
Obstacles in the form of mandatory challengers – both Ben Whittaker and Artur Beterbiev are looking to challenge Hutchison – may delay the potential fight. However, if Canelo can land the shot and beat Hutchison, it opens the door to a bout he has long called for – a rematch with Bivol.
Bivol currently holds the WBA, WBO and IBF belts at 175lbs, and has also recently named Canelo as one of his top three targets. The Russian won their first encounter in 2022 without controversy, but still recognises that Canelo boasts one of, if not the, biggest profiles in the sport.
The fact that it could be for undisputed at light-heavyweight – if Bivol beats Callum Smith next month and holds on to his belts thereafter – adds intrigue to the rematch that perhaps wasn’t there before.
