Canelo Alvarez-Jermall Charlo Happening In May?

It’s looking more and more like Undisputed Super Middleweight Champ Canelo Alvarez isn’t going to be moving all the way up to Cruiserweight to challenge a little known champ for his WBC title. But, instead, he’ll remain at 168 lb. and defend his titles against a much more known WBC Middleweight belt holder, Jermall Charlo.

This is according to info from a Big Fight Weekend source familiar with the Canelo/PBC/Charlo discussions and also, the Wednesday night posting on social media from ESPN boxing insider Mike Coppinger who tweeted,

Sources: Canelo Alvarez recently received two offers – a one-fight deal with PBC for a May 7 fight against Jermall Charlo and a two-fight deal with Matchroom for a May fight with Dmitriy Bivol followed by a Sept. 17 bout with GGG. Details in ESPN story:https://t.co/BwE7KhHgn2

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 26, 2022

Coppinger is reporting what the source also has told us privately for the last two weeks, that Alvarez is considering several options including: trying to fight WBC World Cruiserweight (190 lb.) Champ Ilunga “Junior” Makabu, WBA World Light Heavyweight Champ Dimitry Bivol or the WBC’s World Middleweight Champ in Charlo.

However, the source maintained repeatedly, recently that Alvarez wants the fight on PPV for maximum revenue and that he realizes that Charlo is the much bigger draw to help that than Makabu or Bivol.

Alvarez made a one-fight deal with PBC in November for his Undisputed battle their fighter, unbeaten IBF 168 lb. champ Caleb Plant. Alvarez won the fourth world title at Super Middleweight by 11th round TKO. He also got a massive $40 million guarantee from PBC/Showtime to fight for them.

Then, shortly thereafter, came the request at the WBC’s annual convention by Canelo’s trainer/advisor Eddy Reynoso to move up some 20+ lbs. to fight Makabu for his title. That could represent a fifth world title win in a different weight class, including Alvarez’s one and only bout, a world title KO over Sergey Kovalev, for the WBO Light Heavyweight title in November 2019.

Makabu, 28-2, is making his second Cruiserweight defense against Thabiso Mchunu, as the main event on Don King’s promoted show in Warren, Ohio on Saturday night.

Bivol, 19-0, is promoted by Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, and has been waiting in the wings for a massive fight/payday. However, he’s not a significant draw in the United States- certainly not like Charlo, who’s fought repeatedly as the main event fighter on PBC/Fox Sports shows and PBC pay per views for the last five years.

Charlo, 31-0, 22 KOs, is eager to move up to Super Middleweight and fight the biggest bout of his career. He’s defended his WBC Middleweight title four times, including his most recent win in his hometown of Houston, TX, when he decisioned Juan Montiel last last June.

So, that brings us back to what Alvarez will or won’t do, next?

Coppinger reported that Hearn is offering the Bivol fight as part of a two fight deal that would (stop us, if you haven’t read this before) include a third fight with IBF Middleweight World Champ, Gennady Golovkin in the Fall.

Alvarez and Golovkin fought two close, hugely successful PPV battles in 2017 and 2018. The first fight was a draw and Canelo won a narrow decision in the second bout to hand Golovkin his first pro loss. The Canelo-GGG trilogy fight has been rumored and negotiated, mainly for Golovkin’s shot a revenge, for over three years since.

And, it still has never come to fruition.

Golovkin was to have fought Japan’s Ryota Murata there in a Unification bout in late December. However, the bout was postponed by promoters, when Japanese health officials put in stronger Covid 19 restrictions on attendance and foreign travel to their country. There is not currently a firm reschedule date for GGG-Murata, but it’s believed it will happen later in the Spring.

The likely scenario is the Alvarez will face Charlo, as part of the massive “Cinco de Mayo” weekend celebration and in Las Vegas, where he’s repeatedly headlined on PPV that weekend in the past. Then, Canelo, heavily favored to be victorious, would still have the options of fighting Makabu, Bivol, GGG or someone else, later.