Eddie Hearn says Canelo Alvarez wants to fight in London in December rather than Mexico for his third match in 2022. The Mexican star will be the one who chooses for his fight in London, but Hearn is hoping he’ll pick one of his Matchroom Boxing stable fighters that he has to offer.
Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) is fighting Dmitry Bivol on May 7th and Gennady Golovkin on September 17th as part of his two-fight deal with DAZN/Matchroom.
If Canelo can get through those fights without taking a loss, his December third fight this year in London can become a reality.
The fighters that Hearn has to offer for Canelo are John Ryder, Joshua Buatsi, and Craig Richards. Buatsi and Richards are battling next month on May 21st in a WBA 175-lb title eliminator.
With Canelo fighting WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (19-0, 11 KOs) next month on May 7th, it makes sense for him to defend the belt against the Buatsi vs. Richards winner to satisfy him his mandatory defense straight away.
If Canelo loses one or both of his first two fights in 2022 against Bivol and Golovkin, it’ll be his call to which direction he wants to go.
It’ll throw things off for Canelo if he gets beaten before he gets to his third fight this year, but you can’t rule out the possibility of that happening.
Canelo hasn’t faced anyone on the level of Bivol or Golovkin in the last four years, so we don’t know how he will react when suddenly put in against top-tier talent.
“Canelo wants to fight in London in December,” Hearn said to talkSPORT. “We’ve got the mandatory for his super-middleweight championship and the mandatory for his light-heavyweight championship.
“So John Ryder or [the winner of] Joshua Buatsi vs. Craig Richards. We’re well-placed to provide him for one of those fights in London,” said Hearn.
It’s safe to say, U.S boxing fans have no interest in seeing Canelo fight Buatsi, Richards, or Ryder.
In the last four years, they’ve watched Canelo pad his record against overmatched British fighters Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, and Rocky Fielding. They want to see him fight someone with talent and ability like Joe Smith Jr, Artur Beterbiev, David Benavidez, or Demetrius Andrade.
“Buatsi vs. Richards is a fight where the winner can stake a claim to be in those kinds of fights with Canelo. He’s going to want a dance partner in the UK,” said Hearn.
Buatsi and Richards aren’t household names in the States, and they would be poor choices for Canelo to fight. If Canelo wants to wait for the 37-year-old Beterbiev out until he ages more before facing him, a fight against Benavidez or Andrade would be perfect for December.
If Hearn wants to bring those talented fighters to the UK for Canelo to fight, so be it. The point is that Canelo needs to focus on fighting quality opposition, especially if he’s serious about his legacy.
