By Dan Ambrose: Canelo Alvarez’s trainer Eddy Reynoso listed four possible options for the Mexican star’s next fight after he faces Caleb Plant this Saturday night in the undisputed championship clash at 168 in Las Vegas.
Reynoso wants Canelo (56-1-2, 38 K.O.s) to take a big fight next in 2022, as he plans on fighting four times in the year.
The top of the list of potential opponents for Canelo is former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez (24-0, 21 K.O.s). This fighter, many boxing fans believe, is the genuine #1 guy at 168.
If the 31-year-old Canelo fights the 24-year-old Benavidez, he should do it as soon as possible because he is improving with each match.
Reynoso lists four options for Canelo’s next fight
“We have Benavidez, we got [Jermall] Charlo. There are fighters with Matchroom that can be of interest,” said Eddy Reynoso to Ring Magazine about potential opponents for Canelo’s next fight after Plant on Saturday.
“We have the doors wide open for us, and we want to do the best fights we can that are available,” said Reynoso. “A fight with Charlo, Benavidez, Bivol, Beterbiev. There are a lot of good fights at 168, and there are fights there (at 175) too. It’s not a problem,” said Reynoso.
Hearn wants Canelo to fight Ryder
“Caleb [Plant] may have it in him, but I’d never back against Canelo Alvarez,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL T.V. “Just being around him, ‘You’re unbeatable.’ I just can’t see anyone [beating Canelo]. It’s just the mindset.
“But it’s a good fight, and Caleb Plant is a good champion. He’s [Canelo] a mean mother f****r, and he’s ruthless, and that’s why I don’t see him getting beat,” said Hearn about Canelo.
“I think he’s [Canelo] in such a unique position right now that after this fight, he’ll look at his various opportunities, but he wants to fight around the world. He’d love to fight in the U.K.; I know that. You got John Ryder is his [WBA] mandatory at 168.
“You got Chris Eubank Jr is a really good fight as well for the U.K. market,” said Hearn about potential options for Canelo to fight in the U.K. “I just believe before his career is over, he will fight in the U.K., he will fight in Mexico, he will fight in the Middle East, and I would love to be a part, obviously.
“He had the opportunity to fight Bivol in December in Russia, but we wanted to see if there was an opportunity to do that fight in the U.K. or in America early next year.
“John [Ryder] is training already, and it’s a big necessity to deliver him a shot because I feel that way personally. Me and Tony are very close. I want to make sure John Ryder gets a really big fight,” said Hearn.
Given that Canelo would likely be wanting to sell his next fight on pay-per-view, it’s difficult to picture him choosing to face John’ The Gorilla’ Ryder (30-5, 17 K.O.s) in his next fight after Plant rather than someone more widely known to the American audience.
Canelo, 31, hasn’t faced anyone in a long, long time that the U.S. market was interested in seeing him fight.
The last time Canelo fought a guy that the American boxing fans were demanding him to fight was in 2018 when he took on Gennadiy Golovkin in a rematch.
Since that fight, Canelo has fought these easy options:
- Rocky Fielding
- Daniel Jacobs
- Sergey Kovalev
- Callum Smith
- Billy Joe Saunders
The fans didn’t ask Canelo any of those guys, and in the case of Kovalev and Jacobs, those were two fading fighters past their best.
Canelo hasn’t taken a risk with his career since his questionable win over GGG in 2018, and the fans are getting tired of seeing him pad his record against flawed fighters.
There’s nothing wrong with Canelo fighting a paper champion now and then, but when you see him devoting three solid years to that endeavor, it’s off-putting.
What boxing fans in the U.S. would like to see from Canelo is for him to face these quality fighters in 2022:
1. David Benavidez
2. Artur Beterbiev
3. Jermall Charlo
4. Dmitry Bivol
5. Gennadiy Golovkin
