EDDIE HEARN has revealed Billy Joe Saunders and Gennady Golovkin are top of the list to face Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez next.
Mexican superstar Canelo dethroned WBO light-heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev this month to win a title in his FOURTH division.
Canelo Alvarez has a list of five potential next opponentsCredit: Alamy Live News
Actively holding five belts from middleweight up to 175lbs, the 29-year-old is not short of options for his next fight.
And promoter Hearn, who works with Canelo’s broadcasters DAZN, told BoxingScene the five that are in contention to face the Mexican.
He said: “We’ve got five guys – Gennady Golovkin, Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith – if he beats John Ryder [who fight next weekend], Dmitry Bivol and Demetrius Andrade, to fight Canelo.
“It’s going to come from one of those five.
“It really should be Gennady Golovkin next, but we’ve got five [opponents] and it will be one of those five next and the one after, probably, for Canelo.”
WHO ARE THEY?
Golovkin (40–1–1)
Canelo and Kazakh GGG have history after two fights, that ended a draw in 2017 and an Alvarez points win last year.
Current IBF middleweight champ Golovkin was desperately unlucky not be awarded the verdict in the initial bout and the result was also contentious in the rematch.
Canelo walked away with the unified middleweight belts in the second fight and insisted he is NOT interested in a trilogy – unless the money convinces him otherwise.
The Mexican’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, disagrees and promised the third instalment of the rivalry, which caused friction between him and Alvarez.
Gennady Golovkin owns the IBF belt vacated by Canelo and wants a trilogy bout with his rivalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Saunders (29–0)
Brit Saunders called out Canelo while he held the WBO middleweight belt, the only 160lbs strap Alvarez is yet to own.
But the Hatfield southpaw has since moved up and clinched the super-middleweight belt and claimed the Mexican’s WBA ‘Regular’ crown was not a real world title.
Saunders insisted Canelo must challenge him for his WBO gold to be considered a true four-weight champion.
They could still fight at middleweight for Alvarez’s WBC and WBA belts, but the Mexican admitted boiling back down to 160lbs may prove impossible, with Saunders open to fighting at super-middle or light-heavy.
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WBO super-middleweight champ Saunders is open to facing Canelo at 168lbs or light-heavyweightCredit: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing USA
Smith (26–0)
Reigning as the WBA ‘Super’ world champion Liverpudlian Smith has told Canelo he must unify his secondary title against him.
After Alvarez beat Scouser Rocky Fielding for the super-middleweight belt at the end of 2018, he moved back down for a unification at middleweight against Daniel Jacobs in May.
Canelo added the IBF title, which he has since vacated, to his 160lbs collection, but named Smith as a future opponent, wanting the bout at Wembley Stadium.
However, promoter Hearn, and Smith, would rather the super-middleweight world title bout take place at Anfield.
WBA super-middelweight king Callum Smith wants to unify his belt against Canelo at AnfieldCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Dmitry Bivol (17–0)
Bivol is the current WBA light-heavyweight champion, but revealed he would move down in weight to face Canelo.
Alvarez, though, before knocking out Kovalev insisted he is happy to stay at light-heavyweight, even open to fighting at cruiserweight.
But the 29-year-old looked overpowered by 36-year-old Kovalev at times, before the old champion run out of steam.
With both Canelo and Bivol owning belts at 168lbs and 175lbs, Alvarez could opt to gain an advantage and force the Russian to come down in weight.
WBA light- heavyweight champ Dmitry Bivol will come down to 168lbs to face CaneloCredit: Getty – Contributor
Demetrius Andrade (28-0)
After Andrade won the WBO middleweight title vacated by Saunders in October, and Canelo held the WBA, WBC and IBF straps, and undisputed clash was discussed between the pair.
With Alvarez refusing to fight Golovkin, Hearn revealed Andrade was a named opponent DAZN signed off for the Mexican to face.
But instead Canelo waited till Kovalev beat Brit Anthony Yarde, and instead moved up to light-heavyweight.
It meant Alvarez had to vacate his IBF title, meaning Andrade can no longer offer the 29-year-old an undisputed bout, which makes his chances of boxing the star slimmer.
WBO middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade was in talks for an undisputed clash with CaneloCredit: AP:Associated Press
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
