Makabu-Mchunu Winner To Challenge Canelo Per WBC

Looks like we’ll all get a sneak peek at who will challenge Canelo Alvarez at cruiserweight in 2022 as it will be the winner of current WBC champ Ilunga Makabu and mandatory challenger Thabiso Mchunu courtesy of Don King Promotions.

(That isn’t a typo in 2021 and I’m just as shocked as you are.)

World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman confirmed the report that Canelo will have to wait as the original WBC-ordered contest will now take place January 29th at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio. A Cruiserweight champion from Congo and his southpaw challenger from Ximba are fighting not in South Africa but in Northeast Ohio here in the United States. As King once-famous noted, “Only in America”.

“The winner of Makabu vs. Mchunu will go against Canelo. There are many fights that are already in the pipeline and that is one of them. It is important to make Makabu and Mchunu known, known to the international boxing community at these levels. They are known in Africa and Russia, but we have to see them on a card and thus heat up a fight [with Canelo],” Sulaiman stated.

Buenos días ❤️🖤! Lo prometido es deuda y no quiero deudas☺️,va 1 millón de pesos para nuestros pequeños campeones,decidí hacer la donación para nuestros amigos de @NARIZROJAAC quienes siempre están en la esquina de ellos 👊🏼👊🏼#NoNiñosNoLife #fundacioneddyreynoso

— EDDY REYNOSO (@CANELOTEAM) November 28, 2021

“The WBC will always support Canelo, he is our Franchise Champion, which allows him to seek any type of challenge, and not hindering him is a virtue with that designation. [As Franchise Champion] he has an open path to seek alternative paths and we are going to support him unconditionally.”

Why the wait? Because long-awaited challenger Mchunu won’t take the step aside money. Without any intel or sources, safe to assume that conversation was cut short once the Mexican fighter who held titles in four-weight classes got involved.

This all stems from the announcement last month that Alvarez was going to challenge at the cruiserweight weight limit at his next fight at the annual WBC Convention. Either way, go ahead and have Don King planned on the boxing calendar in 2022 as the 90-year-old promoter is still here with fight cards. Even if they are being staged in Trumbull County, Ohio.