By Aragon Garcia: Canelo Alvarez is now a free agent and no longer with Golden Boy Promotions or DAZN, according to ESPN Deportes. The former four-division world champion Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) has agreed with his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions. Canelo’s coach/manager Eddy Reynoso confirmed on Friday that he’s a free agent.
Subsequently, Canelo’s lawsuit for $280 million against Golden Boy and DAZN has been dropped now that he’s free of his contract. Alvarez will now be self-promoted, and he’ll be looking to return to the ring on December 19th, possibly against IBF super-middleweight champion Caleb Plant (20-0, 12 KOs).
We’ll soon see if Canelo’s decision to part ways with DAZN was a wise move or not. Canelo inked a five-year, 11-fight, $365 million deal with DAZN in October 2018, and he’d only gone through three fights of the deal before initiating a lawsuit.
Canelo can make huge money on pay-per-view
Providing Canelo chooses popular fighters that boxing fans are interested in seeing him fight, he can potentially make more than the $365 million that he was going to get from his contract with DAZN.
But it’ll take fights against guys like Gennadiy Golovkin, Jermall Charlo, David Benavidez, and some of the light heavyweights for Canelo to make that kind of money. Fighting Golovkin might not be possible now for Canelo, seeing that he’s still with DAZN.
If Canelo fights GGG, it could be difficult if the contest is shown on DAZN, which isn’t a pay-per-view platform. At this point, Canelo doesn’t need Golovkin. He’s already proven that he’s superior to the Kazakhstan fighter from their two previous matches, so the fans won’t mind if they don’t fight again.
Likely, there won’t be another Canelo vs. Golovkin fight. GGG is getting old, and it might be better for him not to tangle with Canelo a third time because it could end badly for him next time.
For DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions, it’s a big loss losing Canelo for them, as he’s brought in many fans and subscribers. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out between Canelo and DAZN after three fights against Rocky Fielding, Daniel Jacobs, and Sergey Kovalev.
“In my capacity as manager and coach of Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, I allow myself to communicate to the boxing community and to all our fans that as of today, November 6, our fighter becomes a free agent, so we are ready to continue his career, “Reynoso said in a statement via ESPN Deportes.
Canelo, 30, needs to get back in the ring because he hasn’t fought since November 2, 2019, when he knocked out WBO light-heavyweight champion Sergey ‘Krusher’ Kovalev in the 11th round.
Alvarez’s next fight to be announced soon
“All this time we have been working very hard in the gym with a lot of responsibility and discipline, to be in great physical shape and ready to fight this year, and so it will be.
“Soon we will be announcing the date, rival, and venue, we will return stronger than never to continue growing and to continue showing that Mexican boxing is the best, “added Reynoso.
With Canelo now gone from DAZN, it potentially makes it even more important that Golovkin start fighting quality guys that the boxing public wants to see. GGG signed a lucrative contract with DAZN in 2019, and thus far, he’s fought against Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Golovkin is supposed to be fighting little known Kamil Szeremeta in 2021. That fight likely won’t bring in any subscribers because U.S boxing fans aren’t familiar with Szeremeta, and there’s no demand for Golovkin to fight him.
Will DAZN give Golovkin a hint that they’d like him to fight someone better than Szeremeta, or will they just let him do it and hope fans sill subscribe in huge numbers to see that fight?