Saul Alvarez likely to end up with none of his big three opponents for May 4th

By Dan Ambrose: WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) told his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions that he absolutely wanted a big named fighter for his next bout on May 4th next year.

The list of fighters that Alvarez gave to Golden Boy weren’t just your run of the mill quality fighters. Alvarez wants Sergio Martinez, Miguel Cotto or Floyd Mayweather Jr. Alvarez even skipped a fight date this month so he could be ready to get one of the big names in May.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like it’s going to work out for the 22-year-old Alvarez because Floyd Mayweather Jr. is rumored to be facing Robert Guerrero, Cotto just lost badly to Austin Trout, and Sergio Martinez is fighting Martin Murray. So in other words, Alvarez missed a fight date for nothing because he’s not going to get one of the big three unless Mayweather chooses to fight him instead of Guerrero, and I don’t see that happening.

Alvarez says he’d be interested in facing Austin Trout, the WBA junior middleweight champion, but few boxing fans believe Alvarez will do that or will be allowed to do that by his promoters at Golden Boy. So who will Alvarez be facing on May 4th then?

It’s possible that Golden Boy will look to match Alvarez with either James Kirkland or Alfredo Angulo. Those are the most likely opponents to be put in with Alvarez. What we won’t likely see is Alvarez Erislandy Lara, Vanes Martirosyan and again, Austin Trout. Those are the untouchables, I believe, for Alvarez.

He’s been pretty much matched against older, smaller and guys in the serious decline in their careers. Alvarez hasn’t been facing the dangerous contenders, and that’s not likely to change. It’s easy for him to ask for a fight with one of the top three fighters because he doesn’t lose much if he beats them because he’s got the excuse of being only 22, and he gets a big payday in the process.

But you’d like to see fighters taking on the truly best in the division before they start calling out Martinez, Cotto and Mayweather. I’d like to see Alvarez face Trout, but will that happen? I don’t see it in this lifetime and if it does it happen it’ll likely be when Trout is in his mid to upper 30s and is showing signs of being a shot fighter.