Report- Canelo-Derevyanchenko in September?

Canelo Alvarez, in a report Wednesday night, by Mike Coppinger of The Atheltic, is in talks with Ukrainian Middleweight contender, Sergiy Derevyanchenko, for a potential contest for September 14 at 168 pounds.

As many are aware, Canelo was slated to take on England’s Billy Joe Saunders back on May 2 before the Covid 19 pandemic completely wiped that and other fights off the fight schedule. Coppinger also in his report mentioned that other fighters were being discussed for Canelo, but for those looking at a Canelo-Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin part 3, look again.

This, as he said that fight would take place in 2021.

Sources: Canelo Alvarez-Sergiy Derevyanchenko in talks for Sept. 14 at 168. Canelo was set to fight Billy Joe Saunders, DAZN’s preferred May 2 foe, before pandemic hit. Other opponents being considered for Canelo, but it won’t be GGG. Unlikely to see Canelo-GGG 3 until early 2021

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) June 3, 2020

While it sounds like we’ll get part 3 of “The Big Drama Show,” when these two are at the retirement home, this fight for me while sounds good, brings up the apparent elephant in the room.

Who is going to cover Canelo’s massive financial part of the bill for this fight?

Alvarez signed a 10-fight, $365 million contract with DAZN in 2018, and we have written several reports recently of DAZN being one step closer to joining the ranks of The Dumont Network in terms of financial straits.

DAZN, which has the deal to air Canelo’s fights exclusively, has been decimated by the pandemic not being able to broadcast live sports (since there aren’t any).

So much so, they informed sports leagues and entities that they would not be making rights fee payments to them without games and events being held. It’s worth noting that one of those hurdles is that Canelo in a report put out by Steve Kim of ESPN that he is willing to fight without fans.

This precedent is significant, as Canelo, who is one of the biggest draws in the sport, quickly becomes the biggest name in it willing to fight in front of nobody.

“Yes, for the time being, Canelo is open to fighting in September with no fans,” Golden Boy President  Eric Gomez said Wednesday on “The 3 Knockdown Rule” podcast. “We’re actually discussing all the details now. But he’s open to it.”

Canelo is open to it, but how much of a discount he is willing to accept to do it off his guaranteed contract is another conversation down the line. The lack of fan attendance/revenue means millions of dollars in live gate ticket revenue being left out of trying to pay him.

“It’s going to be tricky. There are certain fighters that are going to accept it. They understand it,” Gomez continued on the podcast. “There are other fighters that are going to reject it.”

I’ll keep an open mind of this in September, but back to the matchup itself, it’s not a bad one.

Derevyanchenko, who has challenged and lost twice for IBF 160 lb. title, was last seen in action in a tough fight against Golovkin last October at Madison Square Garden. And, it was a fight which some contend could’ve gone either way. Derevyanchenko, 35, would be making the weight jump up from 160 lb. to face Canelo.

Canelo was last in action last November, stopping Sergey Kovalev to claim the WBO Light heavyweight title at 175. He has since vacated that title and was looking forward in his next bout wherever it is Derevyanchenko or Saunders back at Super Middleweight.