Boxing

CANELO ALVAREZ is set to face WBC mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim next – with Billy Joe Saunders or Caleb Plant lined up after.
Dominant Canelo took home the vacant WBC as well as his WBA and Ring Magazine super-middleweight titles after beating Callum Smith in Texas on Saturday.

Canelo Alvarez is set to face WBC mandatory Avni Yildirim nextCredit: Instagram / @avniyildrim

The Mexican, 30, then confirmed his future will remain at 168lb as he targeted unifications with Saunders, also 30, and Plant, 28.
But first he will be made to defend his WBC belt, and has 90 days to do so against No1 contender Yildirim – which could be a homecoming bout.
Canelo’s trainer Eddy Reynoso to Boxing Social: “We’re planning on doing it in 90 days out in Mexico; then we’ll fight again.
“We want Billy Joe Saunders or Caleb Plant for a unification of the 168 pounds.”

Promoter Eddie Hearn is confident Canelo will go after Saunders’ WBO belt.
And he also believes Gennady Golovkin – who drew and then lost to his great rival – could get another crack at Alvarez next year.
Hearn said: “I’d love to promote Canelo Alvarez, but he’s got plenty of options.

WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders could fight Canelo next year Credit: ©Dave Thompson/Route One Ltd

Caleb Plant is also on Canelo’s radar Credit: Getty Images – Getty

“I’ll promote my options for him, which are Gennadiy Golovkin and Billy Joe Saunders. That’s the fights I think he looks at.

“I think he wants to fight the champs, I really do. We can make the Billy Joe Saunders fight really quickly, and the GGG fight.
“That’s a big fight for DAZN. DAZN did huge numbers tonight as well. I’m ready to present him with the next one.
“He [Canelo] said to me tonight, ‘Who’s next?’ He said, ‘I’ve been three now of your guys,’ but we’re going to beat him one day.”

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EDGAR BERLANGA is the ‘greatest power-punching phenomenon’ since Mike Tyson.
That’s the verdict of promoter Bob Arum after watching the super-middleweight sensatation win all 16 of his wins coming by FIRST-ROUND knockout.

Edgar Berlanga has been called the ‘greatest power-punching phenomenon’ since Mike TysonCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Bob Arum believes no one since a prime Tyson has carried the sort of power Berlanga possessesCredit: Getty Images – Getty

.@EdgarBerlangaJr is the greatest power-punching phenomenon I’ve seen since the heyday of a young Mike Tyson. I am absolutely astounded when I witness this incredible power of his punches from ringside.
— Bob Arum (@BobArum) December 13, 2020

And legendary matchmaker Arum – who has worked with the best across his career – believes no one since a prime Tyson has carried the sort of power Berlanga possesses.
He tweeted: “@EdgarBerlangaJr is the greatest power-punching phenomenon I’ve seen since the heyday of a young Mike Tyson.
“I am absolutely astounded when I witness this incredible power of his punches from ringside.”
The 23-year-old continued his stunning run earlier this months as he stopped Ulises Sierra with 20 seconds to go of round one.

Berlanga insists there is no secret remedy to his gifted power – but has instead worked hard to build up a spiteful, killer instinct in the ring.
He told SunSport: “The secret is simple; it’s hard work, it’s nothing to it, just hard work. Discipline, dedication, not giving up.
“I did have power, but I didn’t know how to use it and utilise it as an amateur.

“I wasn’t dwelling on trying to hurt people and I didn’t have a killer instinct the way I do now.

“Now, I’m a grown man and my mindset is different, now I’m a monster, a killer now, from amateur to turning pro.
“You have to have it in you, and if you don’t there nothing you can do.
“And as I’ve got older I’ve learned to keep that killer mindset and that’s very important, all the greats, they had a killer instinct.”

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ANTHONY JOSHUA has moved up to No2 in Ring Magazine’s heavyweight rankings – just underneath champion Tyson Fury.
AJ has leapfrogged Deontay Wilder after emphatically knocking out Kubrat Pulev, 39, to close out a frustrating 2020.

Ring Magazine’s heavyweight rankings

The win sets the WBA, IBF and WBO champion up for a mammoth undisputed decider against long-time rival Fury next year.
The Gypsy King, 32, won his WBC title from American Wilder, 35, with a brutal display in February.
And, as the pair were then ranked No1 and No2 with the Ring Magazine, the vacant belt was also put on the line.
It meant Fury became the first heavyweight to win the title since he vacated it following his upset over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

The seventh-round KO was Wilder’s first career defeat, and it has seen him fall behind Joshua as the second-ranked contender, and No3 overall.
Alexander Povetkin, 41, slots in at No4 following his stunning knockout of Dillian Whyte, who is one spot lower, in the summer.
The pair were due to rematch in November but Povetkin’s battle against coronavirus has pushed the fight back.

Luis Ortiz is the fifth-ranked contender, with Andy Ruiz Jr – who has not fought since defeat to AJ last year – just behind the Cuban.

Former WBO champion Joseph Parker is No7 with Michael Hunter at eight.
Oscar Rivas is just in front of No10 Oleksandr Usyk, who is Joshua’s current mandatory challenger.

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CANELO ALVAREZ is the man with many options as he sits on the pound-for-pound throne.
The Mexican superstar cemented himself as a fully-fledged four-division champion having taken Callum Smith’s WBA super-middleweight crown.

Mexican Canelo is the man with many optionsCredit: USA TODAY Sports

It came two years after he beat another Brit in Rocky Fielding, but only winning the secondary ‘Regular’ title.
Canelo returned after 13 months out, having not fought since he stepped up to light-heavyweight, knocking out Sergey Kovalev for the WBO belt.
But he since vacated that strap, and still holds two titles at middleweight, meaning Alvarez is the man to beat from 160lb up to 175lb.
Here SunSport explores his future opponents.

Gennady Golovkin, IBF middleweight champion
The former middleweight rivals still have unfinished business after the pair of 12-round thrillers – which first ended in a draw then a Canelo win.
GGG feels he won BOTH and has the backing of several others sharing that view, as Eddie Hearn confirmed the Kazakh wants one more shot at his rival.
Hearn said: “We saw two tremendous fights first time up, he believes he should have won those fights. And I think he wants another crack at Canelo Alvarez.”
But with Canelo appearing settled at super-middleweight, GGG, for the first time in his career, may have to step up from middleweight to complete the trilogy.

Gennady Golovkin fancies another crack at Canelo Credit: AP:Associated Press
Billy Joe Saunders, WBO super-middleweight champion
Two-division champion Saunders had a guaranteed shot at Canelo finalised this summer until the coronavirus pandemic KO’d the fight.
But the slick southpaw could have his chances of fighting Alvarez revived after the unified champion revealed plans to unify the division.
And promoter Hearn has backed Saunders to defend his WBO belt against Canelo in their very next outings.
He told BBC Sport: “I think he’s going to want to pick up the other belts in the division. I think he’ll go for Billy next.”

Billy Joe Saunders wanted to fight Canelo Credit: ©Dave Thompson/Route One Ltd
Caleb Plant, IBF super-middleweight champion
Plant was another considered for Canelo’s sole 2020 fight, but as Smith was the division’s No1, he got the nod.
The American has an IBF belt to bring to the table as well as a 20-0 undefeated record to temp Alvarez into breaking.
He returns to the ring on January against Caleb Truax, and Canelo’s trainer Eddy Reynoso admitted they are interested in fighting Plant next year.
Reynoso told Boxing Social: “We want Billy Joe Saunders or Caleb Plant to unify in the unification of the 168 pounds.”

Caleb Plant has the IBF belt to offer Canelo Credit: Getty – Contributor
Avni Yildirim, WBC mandatory
Yildrim was also considered by Canelo, due to his status as mandatory challenger.
And his ranking means Alvarez is mostly likely going to have to face the Turk NEXT.
Canelo has 90 days to defend his WBC belt against Yildirim, and Reynoso hinted it could happen in Mexico.
As Alvarez is desperate to unify the belts at 168lb he is unable to overlook Yildirim, despite having more lucrative options elsewhere.

Avni Yildirim, pictured with Canelo after sparring, is WBC mandatory
Jermall Charlo, WBC middleweight champion
Unbeaten Charlo won the WBC title after Canelo was elevated to the controversial and unpopular ‘Franchise’ status.
The American, unbeaten in 31 fights, was accused of rejecting a fight against Alvarez, something he denied as he confirmed he would move up to super-middle for the bout.
Charlo said on Instagram: Canelo ain’t never gave me no contract. I ain’t ever duck no Canelo.
“I’ll go to 168. F*** it, I’ll go to 168.”

Jermall Charlo, left next to brother Jermell, is WBC champion Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Errol Spence Jr, unified welterweight champion
Spence is considered the man at welterweight with the WBC and IBF belts as well as the size to go with it.
He called out Canelo while ringside in his hometown of Texas to watch Smith’s loss.
Spence said: “I think it’s a great fight, especially at 160. I’m a guy that sucks down to 147… I’m holding around because I wanted to be undisputed champion at 147, but if there’s a great fight at 160, I can definitely go up to 160 and fight easy.”
Despite the callout, the unbeaten champ is another at a disadvantage with no belt to offer Canelo while also banking on the Mexican to come back to middleweight.

Unified welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr called out Canelo Credit: Getty Images – Getty
Artur Beterbiev, unified light-heavyweight champion
With Canelo proving too dominant at middleweight and super-middle, he has faced calls to go back up to light-heavy.
WBC and IBF champ Beterbiev, unbeaten with 15 straight KO’s, is the main man at 175lb.
But Canelo hinted his venture up where it took him 11 rounds to stop Russian Kovalev could have been his one and only.
Asked if he could fight at cruiserweight, he responded: “No. It’s too much. It’s too much, I think 160 and 168 is my best.”

Artur Beterbiev is the unified light-heavyweight championCredit: Getty – Contributor

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CHRIS VAN HEEREDEN suffered an almighty cut on his forehead causing his fight with Jaron Ennis to be immediately cancelled.
The South African – who famously sparred ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor – was featuring on the undercard of Emmanuel Rodriguez vs Reymart Gaballo.

Chris van Heerden suffered an almighty cut on his forehead

The gash caused his fight with Jaron Ennis to be immediately cancelled

But it did not last long after Van Heerden clashed heads with Ennis early on in the opening round.
It caused a massive gash to form on to top right of his forehead with the referee left with no choice but to call off the contest.
As the bout did not go past four rounds, and it was caused by an accidental clash, the fight was declared a no-contest.
Van Heerden, 33, was hoping to become the first man to beat unbeaten welterweight prospect Ennis, 23.

Van Heereden confirmed on his Instagram story that he was discharged from hospital having had stitches
But he confirmed on his Instagram story that he was discharged from hospital having had stitches.
The southpaw came into the fight having won his last five.
Van Heerden has not lost since current unified champion Errol Spence Jr, 30, knocked him out.
That defeat came a year before Van Heerden hit the headlines after sparring McGregor in 2016.

Chris van Heerden with Conor McGregor after a sparring session

McGregor, now 32, used the former IBO champion to help him prepare to beat Nate Diaz in their rematch.
Van Heerden was full of praise for McGregor at the time, telling Submission Radio: “Can Conor McGregor box? Yes. He can.
“I was shocked at how well he could handle himself in the ring.
“You can immediately see that Conor’s got a boxing background and that he knows how to use his hands. Yes, Conor can fight.”

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