Canelo Alvarez vacates recently won Light Heavyweight title

So much for Canelo Alvarez being a Light Heavyweight. The four division World Champ relinquished his newly won WBO belt on Tuesday morning just six weeks after he won it.

In a statement released by Golden Boy Promotions, Canelo’s promoter, Alvarez has decided to give up the championship he won by 11th round TKO over Sergey Kovalev in Las Vegas on November 2nd.

“I know that my accomplishments in the ring have brought pride to my fans and my country,” Alvarez said in the stateent. “I have long enjoyed my relationship with the WBO and appreciate all they do to preserve and enhance the sport of boxing.

This agreement allows the WBO to have its light heavyweight title contested regularly and allows me to pursue bouts against the best opponents, regardless of weight class.” 

Alvarez and made the jump to 175 lb. and was immediately ranked number one by the WBO to fight the 36 year old Russian Kovalev. As we wrote, Alvarez looked slower and had trouble putting combinations together, while carrying the extra 10-15 pounds.

However, he also strategically waited as the aging Kovalev eventually wore down. Then, Alvarez caught him with a quick combination including a booming right hand (above) that sent him to the canvas and the fight was stopped shortly thereafter.

Alvarez 53 – 1 – 2, 36 KOs is expected to maintain fighting at middleweight, where he previously held the Undisputed Championship after defeating Gennady Golovkin in September of 2018. However, Alvarez was stripped of the IBF version of the 160 lb. title and Golovkin subsequently won a 12 round decision with Sergei Derevyanchenko in October for the vacant belt.

This has fight fans everywhere hoping for the third fight trilogy between Alvarez and Triple G for perhaps as soon as Next May. And, it would be the most lucrative option for both.

But, it’s also entirely possible that Canelo could fight at 168 lb. against either Unified Champion Callum Smith or WBC champion, David Benavidez. Smith was in action last month in his hometown of Manchester, England and was unimpressive in 12 round decision over countryman John Ryder.

Meanwhile, Benavidez regained the WBC Super Middleweight title with a ninth round stoppage of Anthony Dirrell in late September.

Alvarez has fought once at 168 lbs. winning a smaller version of the WBA belt, when he knocked out England’s Rocky Fielding in 2018.