Oscar De La Hoya is not alone in thinking the upcoming 164.5-pound catch-weight battle between Mexican stars Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Junior could be a great fight. With Canelo set to fight at the highest weight of his career against a seemingly motivated and deadly serious and determined Chavez, fans could get something special on May 6.
And De La Hoya, in speaking with ESPN Deportes, goes as far as to suggest the fight could end up a draw, with a rematch and even a third fight possible. De La Hoya also said that while the plan for Canelo to go ahead with his verbally agreed super-fight with Gennady Golovkin in September remains in place, the nature of the May fight with Chavez could change things.
“I have always said that Canelo is going to fight with GGG this year,” De La Hoya said. “That has always been the goal, the plan. The only reason that we wouldn’t make that fight is because the Chavez fight with Canelo could be a war, maybe it ends in a draw – that would force a rematch. The plan is for Canelo to fight three times and to have big fights like Chavez and GGG. [Canelo Vs. GGG] depends on the May fight. I’ve always said that Canelo is going to fight GGG in 2017 and that’s the plan, but that depends on this fight, because there could be a rematch, a trilogy – it could be The Fight of The Year.”
De La Hoya again insisted that Canelo is “afraid of no-one,” GGG included, but fans will be in uproar if the mega-fight we have all been waiting for does not happen in September; or some time this year. If the Canelo-Chavez fight is a war and a great fight, fine, but the GGG fight must still happen. Maybe it could be moved to December so as to allow Canelo to fully recharge his batteries if the “Battle of Mexico” between he and Chavez is a particularly gruelling encounter, but Golovkin-Canelo has to happen this year as agreed.
If it doesn’t, and it’s down to Canelo and Oscar, the backlash from the fans will reach critical mass! As for Canelo-Chavez ending up a draw: no chance. Canelo gets a tough test but he stops Chavez late. There will be no need for a rematch.
