After weeks of posturing and negotiating, Canelo Alvarez has signed a three fight deal with Premier Boxing Champions to fight on Showtime PPV. Negotiations with Dmitry Bivol and Badou Jack have fallen apart and Alvarez has since moved on. Bivol would not budge on the weight class as he wanted to come down and attempt to take Canelo's undisputed crown at 168 lbs. and Jack would not put his cruiserweight title on the line twenty pounds below the limit and with a re-hydration clause. I will inject my opinion by stating I like this trend of fighters standing up to the A-side and not taking ridiculous demands in the example of Jack. Bivol, he may live to regret this move as he has now missed out on a big payday and a high profile main event in a fight he would be an overwhelming favorite to win.
What are the implications of this deal? Alvarez looks set to face WBC middleweight titleholder Jermall Charlo at super middleweight this September on Mexican Independence Day Weekend. The rumors or expectations are a fight with David Benavidez who has been calling Alvarez out and is viewed as the leading contender in the division. That clash is likely to happen Cinco De Mayo Weekend in 2024 given both men remain victorious in upcoming fights. It is also speculated that Errol Spence might get the fight with Alvarez next September in 2024 as this contract expires. Spence has called out Alvarez in the past and it would be a large leap for the welterweight who would need to jump three weight classes and twenty-one pounds. It would be a move similar to Shane Mosely skipping weight classes to take on Oscar De La Hoya and would be a huge fight. There are a lot of mitigating factors in play including Spence's much anticipated July fight with Terrence Crawford which has a rematch clause.
What this fight seems to guarantee is the door being shut on a few fighters getting in the ring with Alvarez until at least 2024 if not 2025. Dmitry Bivol will now be out of the path of Alvarez as he fights on DAZN and cross promotional events are rare. Demetrius Andrade is also likely out as well for the same reasons as Bivol and I wonder if he will start to call Alvarez out knowing the fight will not be available. Artur Beterbiev who is the fighter most Alvarez detractors line up behind as the man to destroy Canelo and the fighter they say he will never fight will also likely be out of the running given his association with Top Rank and ESPN. Badou Jack and any foray into cruiserweight is also probably out for now as well.
There are contingents of fans who will never be happy with anything that Alvarez does; this decision and line up of possible fights is not a moment to complain about. Fans for years have begged for the Charlo fight, looks like it is coming. More fans have demanded the Benavidez fight, that looks next. This is a great development for the sport, I just wonder what this means for DAZN.
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