Tom Brown Claims Canelo Turned Down $100 Mil For Charlo Then Spence

With Canelo Alvarez set to move back up to Light Heavyweight and take on WBA World champ Dimitry Bivol Saturday night for Matchoom Boxing/DAZN, a rival promoter says the future hall of famer walked away from fighting two current world champs of his for $100 million.

Tom Brown of TGB Promotions confirmed to Boxingscene’s Keith Idec that he offered Alvarez a two fight deal to battle unbeaten WBC middleweight champ Jermall Charlo for this weekend and then, to fight either unified welterweight champ Errol Spence or former WBC super middleweight champ David Benavidez.

Tom Brown: We Offered Canelo $45M For Charlo; $55M For Spence At 164 Or Benavidez At 168 https://t.co/4vqYLtvEHM pic.twitter.com/Db2d0EkVRq

— BoxingScene.com (@boxingscene) May 3, 2022

From Idec’s report Tuesday afternoon,

“Tom Brown – whose company, TGB Promotions, represents Spence and Jermall Charlo – informed BoxingScene.com that PBC offered Alvarez a $45 million guarantee to fight Jermall Charlo on Saturday night and, if he would’ve conquered Charlo, a $55 million guarantee to fight either Spence at a catch weight of 164 pounds or David Benavidez at the 168-pound limit.

His fights against Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) and Spence (28-0, 22 KOs) or Benavidez (25-0, 22 KOs) all would’ve been contested for Alvarez’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. Golovkin, the IBF and WBA middleweight champion, also would move up from the 160-pound division to challenge Alvarez for his 168-pound crowns if Alvarez beats Bivol….

“Props to Eddy Reynoso, the ‘Manager of the Year,’ for getting Canelo these huge paydays with the least risk,” Brown said. “He had him take the least risk for the most reward. Because he had a chance to fight a reigning world champion at 160 pounds in Charlo and he also had a chance to fight an undefeated, two-time former 168-pound champion in Benavidez. Or he could’ve fought the reigning welterweight champion. It was a $100 million deal.”

“Fortunately now for Matchroom and DAZN,” Brown said, “they’ll be able to ride our coattails from our last show with Canelo, which was not on an app. That show had the promotional muscle of both PBC and Showtime behind it. Because remember, prior to our show Canelo was kind of off of the public’s radar for six fights in a row on the app.

“We brought an American world champion [ Caleb Plant] to him and put our promotional muscle behind it. And look, we did 800,000 buys in today’s world. We also had 16,500 people at MGM Grand, and we did an $18 million gate. Remember, he had 70,000-plus in Arlington and he did a $9 million gate.” 

Alvarez ultimately chose the Matchroom deal to fight the Russian Bivol Saturday night, instead and then, a trilogy fight with the now 40 year old, unified middleweight titleholder Gennady Golovkin in September. Alvarez and Golovkin fought two slugfest battles in September 2017 and September 2018. The first bout ended in 12 round draw with Alvarez getting the slight decision win in the rematch.

It’s believed that if Alvarez is victorious in the light heavyweight title bout Saturday night and then, against Triple G, that he will try to secure an undisputed 175 lb. title shot against the winner of the bout later this year between another Russian Artur Beterbiev and American Joe Smith.

The most intriguing element of Brown’s comments is that Spence was apparently prepared to move up to the catch weight of 164 lb. to challenge Alvarez. Spence, who just beat Yordenis Ugas to add the WBA welterweight title to his IBF/WBC belts, has never fought at middleweight or middleweight, previously. Yet, to cash in on a mega-fight with Canelo, he would have been willing to battle at a limit 17 lb. higher.

Alas, none of that appears to be in the works.

Instead, Alvarez has his path and Spence appears ready to finally battle WBO welterweight champ Terence Crawford next.