Canelo boxing news and latest headlines
It seems Oscar De La Hoya is running out of patience over the ongoing negotiations for the possible May 6 Canelo Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Junior fight. The fight, if it happens, will be a huge attraction, taking place as it would over the Mexican festivities that accompany the Cinco de Mayo weekend – but the Golden Boy head has urged Chavez Jnr to hurry up and sign the contract.
Not only that, but De La Hoya has told Chavez Jnr to “stop tweeting lies.”
By Paul “Paparazzi” Jones & Justin Jones – As the world celebrates the New Year, we reflect on the sweet science in 2016 by unveiling our yearly boxing awards:
Carl ‘The Jackal’ Frampton
Honorable Mention
There is always a tremendous buzz around the big fight that plays out on Cinco de Mayo weekend, the huge celebration in Mexico, and next year it could be an all-Mexican showdown that gets the big stage. As fans may have read, there is talk of a Saul Alvarez-Julio Cesar Chavez Junior fight taking place next year – with both sides interested in the fight and currently in talks – and according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.com the fight could be staged on May 6.
Oscar De La Hoya was a guest on “First Take” last night – and guess what the topic of conversation was? Yes, that still in-the-works super-fight all of boxing wants to see: Gennady Golovkin Vs. Canelo Alvarez. And, in response to being asked if the fight will happen in 2017, the Golden Boy head gave us his word no less that, yes, it will happen in September of next year.
“Canelo truly is a ’54-pounder. I mean, he is,” De La Hoya said. “He can make the weight no problem, and Canelo and I and the team have that for 2017 he will move up to middleweight, full-fledged middleweight, and fight the middleweight champions of the world, and that’s including Triple-G. At 160, that’s it. You have my word, and Canelo is not afraid of Triple-G. September, we’re hoping he signs the contract and it will happen.”
Is Mexican star and former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Junior once again committed, fully dedicated and ready to stay as such as he tries to get his latest comeback off the ground? The 30 year-old says so and, in speaking with ESPN.com, Chavez Jnr said his aim is to engage in further world title fights down the road.
Chavez, 49-2-1(32) will return to action after well over a year out this December 10, against Germany’s Dominik Britsch in a ten-rounder to be fought at an agreed weight of 170 pounds. Chavez Jnr – again promoted with Zanfer with whom he has reunited after a split with Top Rank – says he is happy with the quality of his comeback opponent, but he is already looking at bigger fights. Much bigger fights. The former WBC middleweight ruler says he wants either Saul Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin.
Reigning and defending WBO welterweight champ Jessie Vargas almost certainly does not like it one bit, but it does seem as though fight fans and members of the media are talking more about who returning superstar Manny Pacquiao may or may not face in his next fight after the Las Vegas clash with Vargas this coming Saturday night. There is interest in Pacquiao-Vargas but the fight does not have anything like the buzz previous Pacquiao fights had.
Canadian power-puncher David Lemieux failed in his bid to derail Gennady Golovkin in a middleweight title fight unification last year, but the exciting contender is convinced he has the beating of Saul Canelo Alvarez, the man all of boxing wants to see get it on with GGG. But first, with Canelo looking to return to action in the early part of next year and of moving up to 160-pounds as he (hopefully) readies himself for a September showdown with Triple-G, there is talk of Canelo and Lemieux fighting one another.
After his emphatic unanimous decision victory over Gabriel Rosado on September, 17th, it was widely understood in the boxing industry that middleweight contender Willie Monroe, Jr. would get an opportunity to face Canelo Alvarez in a bout this winter or next spring.
Now it seems, Canelo’s team, led by trainer Eddie Reynoso, have seemed to do a 180 degree turn, and they don’t want their prized fighter anywhere near the former world title challenger.
Today Canelo Alvarez visited specialist Dr. Pedro Jaime Lomeli, after injuring his right hand during his ninth round knockout victory over Liam “Beefy” Smith to win the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship on September 17, 2016.
After taking x-rays and conducting a CT scan, the doctor found an avulsion fracture of the right thumb. Canelo does not need surgery and the prognosis is excellent.
Twice in two weeks British world champions – Kell Brook and Liam Smith – have stepped up to the elite level and come up short. Of the two a case can be made that Kell Brook does belong at the elite level, just not at middleweight; and certainly not at middleweight against the machine that is Gennady Golovkin. The Sheffield welterweight world champion’s next outing at light middle will prove beyond doubt if he’s as good as many of us believe he is when up against the likes of Canelo Alvarez – assuming, of course, that the Mexican stays at 154lbs to defend the WBO belt he just won from Britain’s Liam Smith, against whom he looked superb, securing a 9th round stoppage on the back of a vicious left uppercut to the body.