Canelo Alvarez will fight Callum Smith or Demetrius Andrade next says Matchroom boss

By Boxing News - 07/30/2020 - Comments

By Sean Jones: Canelo Alvarez will end up fighting either Callum Smith or Demetrius Andrade next, but it won’t be on September 12, predicts Matchroom boss Eddie Hearn.

The September 12 date has already passed Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) by seeing that it’s been picked by Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr for their old-timer’s comeback fight.

There have been reports that DAZN wants the superstar Canelo to take a drop in pay for his next fight with them this year. If the two sides are unable to settle their disagreement soon, then that’ll make it impossible for Alvarez to fight on September 12.

As popular as Canelo is, he doesn’t need to fight on September 12, which is a Mexican holiday, for him to bring in the fans. What Canelo needs is a solid opponent that the boxing public in the United States is interested in seeing him fight.

DAZN wants Canelo to face quality opposition, which puts him in the opposition where he’s going to need to take risks whether he wants to or not. If Canelo isn’t willing to fight Beterbiev or Bivol, then he can’t afford to avoid Andrade, David Benavidez, Caleb Plant, and Jermall Charlo.

Callum Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) is such a lackluster opponent for Canelo, and it’s hardly worth him taking that fight. Two of the other fighters that Golden Boy has been considering for Canelo, Jason Quigley, and John Ryder, are such awful choices.

If DAZN agrees to let Canelo fight either of those guys, they’ll be sorry for it later when they notice their poor ratings.

Canelo will fight Callum Smith or Demetrius Andrade

“I don’t know,” said Hearn when asked what’s the latest news on Canelo Alvarez and his next fight for September 12 fight. “We put our guys in the hat, you know? Bivol, Andrade, Ryder, Callum Smith.

Image: Canelo Alvarez will fight Callum Smith or Demetrius Andrade next says Matchroom boss

“I believe he wants to fight Callum Smith, I do. I think September 12 is obviously unlikely now. Does it matter? Not really.

“Hopefully, one of our guys the pick. We’re ready to go, we’re training, and it would be an honor to be selected as Canelo Alvarez’s opponent. I think if he can’t fight Callum Smith, I think he fights Demetrius Andrade,” said Hearn on Canelo.

Hearn has overestimated Canelo’s willingness to take risks with his career by saying that Demetrius Andrade has a chance of fighting him.

Canelo has never attempted to set up a fight with Andrade, and that’s a clear sign that he fears him. Canelo can’t wait until Andrade is old before fighting him as he did with Golovkin because he’s close to the same age as him.

Alvarez’s last three opponents – Sergey Kovalev, Daniel Jacobs, and Rocky Fielding – have been duds, and he’s chewed up a year and half of his career fighting them.

Canelo could have fought Gennady Golovkin in the last year, but he chose to easier fights that the U.S public wasn’t asking him to take.

There was no demand from American fans for him to fight the over-the-hill Kovalev, Fielding, or former Golovkin victim Jacobs. That’s something Canelo decided, and it was a mistake.

Billy Joe would have had the Canelo fight last May if not for the pandemic, so that’s something that he had no control over. It’s just a situation that was out of Saunder’s hands, and he’s not much he can do about it.

Image: Canelo Alvarez will fight Callum Smith or Demetrius Andrade next says Matchroom boss

Saunders is a victim of circumstance

“You say he missed out in the Canelo fight. He wasn’t willing to take less, and I don’t think he would have been ready for September,” said Eddie on Billy Joe Saunders.

“So he really wasn’t in the mix, to be honest with you. He had, everything was really rosy, you know? He had a defense in November [against Marcelo Estaban Coceres], and he had the Canelo fight.

Everything was all agreed upon,” Hearn continued on the Canelo vs. Saunders negotiations. “We were a few days from announcing. Unfortunately for him, something called COVID 19 struck, and you can’t blame him for that.

“We need to get Billy back in the saddle. He’s a world-class fighter, and he’s still got a big future ahead of him,” said Hearn.

Saunders is young enough at 30 to make big things happen with his career, but he’s got to stay out of trouble outside of the ring. He’s been a pro for 11 years since 2009, but he’s only had a small handful of fights against competent opposition.

What’s important now is for Billy Joe to stay active, and get a couple of wins under his belt so that he can remain in the hunt for a Canelo fight in 2021. Canelo and his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions can’t afford to hold a grudge because of Saunders deciding not to stay in the running for the fight.

Canelo could play games with Saunders if he were willing to take on talented fighters at 160, 168, and 175 like Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol, or David Benavidez.

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Smith will move on soon

“I’m waiting so that when an offer does come in, we can get the fight done, but the fight date is getting closer and closer,” said Callum Smith to Boxing Social. “So the possibility of it happening, I’m not too sure.

“I want to fight September or October time anyway. Whether it’s Canelo, I’m not too sure. We have to wait and see. There’s no official offer, as far as I’m aware. I just see what everyone else sees, and I’m in line with a lot of other fighters. Everyone wants the fight.

“Probably soon,” said Callum when asked if he’ll start looking for another opponent soon if he doesn’t hear anything from Canelo. “It’s [September 12] is six weeks away, and it’s getting closer and closer. It’s six weeks away, and I still haven’t heard anything.

“It gets to the point where I have to focus on my own career and push on and look to secure a fight for myself in October time. There are other big fights out there for me. Billy Joe Saunders wants a fight with me.

“It’s a big unification fight between two world champions, and it’s a fight that makes sense. I’ll have to sit down with Billy Joe Saunders. If we get that fight done for the end of the year, it’s a huge fight.

“I keep saying those are the fights that I want to be involved with. Those are matches that are 50-50,” said Callum.

Smith should have already moved on because Golden Boy Promotions are taking too much time trying to select Alvarez’s next opponent for September.

Image: Canelo Alvarez will fight Callum Smith or Demetrius Andrade next says Matchroom boss

Callum to move up to 175 in three more fights

“I’m not far off from light heavyweight,” said Smith. “As long as there are big fights out there for me that I can achieve at super middle, I’d like to maximize that before I step up.

I want to achieve as much as I can in a short period of time, and then get out. A few more fights at super middleweight. I’d like to be a two-weight world champion, and then I feel I would have achieved all I can.

“It doesn’t have to be,” said Callum on him fighting Canelo with or without fans. If we’re not going to get fans for a year, then everyone is going to bite the bullet and get on with it.

“If it’s a couple of months to get the fans, then a lot of fighters will be prepared to with. Yeah, it probably deserves crowds. Whether we get crowds or not, we’ll have to wait and see. If it’s no crowds for a long time, then we’ll have to bite the bullet and do it behind closed doors,” said Callum Smith.

Callum might be better off delaying his move until Artur Beterbiev, 34, retires because he’s someone that he would need to fight if he moved up to 175. Beterbiev is too big and too strong for Smith, and it would end badly for him.