By Sean Jones: Promoter Eddie Hearn is over the moon about Canelo Alvarez agreeing to the two-fight deal to face Dmitry Bivol on May 7th and Gennadiy Golovkin. The information about this deal will be revealed next Wednesday at the press conference in San Diego, California.
In the end, the 31-year-old Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) agreed to Matchroom Boxing’s two-fight deal over PBC’s deal involving David Benavidez and Jermall Charlo.
Hearn says there’s a third fight for Canelo in December against John Ryder or Ilunga Makabu. The deal is reportedly worth $160 million.
It’s a no-brainer on why Canelo went in the direction of Bivol and Golovkin because those guys don’t present as many problems for him compared to the Benavidez and Charlo duo.
Had Canelo agreed to that two-fight deal from PBC, there’s a good chance he’d lose both fights with his career limping along going into his December match.
Canelo vs. Bivol = a brilliant fight
“It’s a massive fight. Canelo is obviously pound-for-pound, he’s the biggest star in the sport right now,” said Eddie Hearn to iFL TV. “In terms of the fight itself [Canelo vs. Bivol], it’s really well received. It’s a brilliant fight.
“Dmitry Bivol is an undefeated light heavyweight champion. He’s already beaten Joe Smith. He’s been looking for an opportunity like this for a long time. It’s a great match-up.” said Hearn.
Bivol is obviously a far better fighter than the 168-lb champions Canelo has dined recently, but it would have been nicer if he’d started off against IBF/WBC 175lb champion Artur Beterbiev or WBO champion Joe Smith Jr. first.
“Cinco de Mayo, we’ll announce the venue and everything at the press conference on Wednesday in San Diego,” said Hearn. “But you see the size of Canelo Alvarez when you announce the fight, and you see the interaction across the news outlets, his social, all-digital media.
“This guy is a superstar. I’ll be honest with you. I’ve worked my absolute bollox off over the last four weeks to make this fight. There were times when I thought it was done, and there were times when I thought it might NOT be done.
“But for me as a promoter, it doesn’t get any bigger than this to represent the pound-for-pound #1. I’ve kind of learned a little bit over the years, and when I got it signed yesterday, it was a massive relief,” Hearn said.
It’s got to be a great feeling for Hearn that Canelo agreed to fight his two fighters Bivol and Golovkin next rather than agreeing to PBC’s two-fight deal.
Now, if Canelo gets beaten by Bivol or Golovkin, we’ll see if Hearn is whistling a different tune.
Hearn pleased Canelo working with Matchroom
“It means a lot that Canelo Alvarez wants to work with us,” said Hearn. “He believes we’re the best promotional company in the world, and we’re going to bring you two initially, and you’ve seen the reports last night. It’s true that a third fight [for Canelo] is being planned now for December anyway.
“We’re going to bring you the pound-for-pound king in epic events this year in great fights as well,” said Hearn. “That’s the thing with Canelo Alvarez.
“It’s not like we’re looking at him, and he’s thinking, ‘How do I milk a payday?’ He’s going to fight Dmitry Bivol and Gennadiy Golovkin. That’s his next two fights.
“Probably after that, he’ll fight [Ilunga] Makabu or [John] Ryder, or he’ll be in another big fight somewhere around the world. It’s incredible. We can’t wait to get started and fly to San Diego this week [for the announcement for Canelo vs. Bivol date and venue].
“We’ve got Chocolatito vs. Julio Cesar Martinez and Canelo pressor on Wednesday. First and foremost, he’s a fighter [Canelo] and a businessman. He’s not just going to do a deal because he likes me.
“I think on an even playing field; he’ll always choose me and Matchroom to work with. He’s seen how we take care of fighters, and the honesty that we have, the way that we pay fighters, the way that our production works, the ring walks, the way that the media is handled. We’re the best in the business.
“At the same time, if a better deal presents itself, like Caleb Plant last time around, that was the perfect fight for him to take, and he chose to take that.
“This is a mixture of great money and two fights that he really wanted to challenge himself against great fights against champions and also the fact that he wanted to work with Matchroom again.
“That feels amazing,” Hearn said in glowing about Canelo deciding to sign a two-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing for the Bivol and Gennadiy Golovkin fights in May and September.
It’s obvious why Canelo accepted Hearn’s two-fight deal to ink his fighters. WBA 175lb champion Bivol hasn’t done anything in years since his win over Joe Smith Jr. in 2019.
That was the last time Bivol fought an elite-level contender at 175. Since that fight, Bivol has played it safe, beating Umar Salamov, Craig Richards, and Lenin Castillo.
Golovkin turns 40 in April, hasn’t looked good in years, and has fought only three times since 2018.
The deal that Canelo should have taken was PBC’s two-fight option to face Jermall Charlo in May and David Benavidez in September.
Canelo didn’t take that two-fight deal leaves one with the impression that he didn’t want to risk getting beat by those two talents. That’s what Sean Jones thinks.
In other words, Canelo went in the path of least resistance in taking on the fading Bivol and GGG instead of the talented Benavidez and Charlo.
Alvarez has had a great run
“When you look at him again, his run of fights and take out Avni Yildirim because that was a [WBC] mandatory that he had to fight,” Hearn said.
“He’s gone Daniel Jacobs, world middleweight champion, he’s gone Sergey Kovalev, world light heavyweight champion, he’s gone Callum Smith, Ring Magazine champion, and WBA #1 champion at super middleweight, he’s gone Billy Joe Saunders.
Canelo has also faced WBO super middleweight champion, he’s gone Caleb Plant, IBF world champion, and he’s now going Dmitry Bivol, WBA world light heavyweight champion. Then he’s going Gennady Golovkin, world IBF middleweight champion.
“This guy [Canelo] is fighting champion after champion; he’s unbelievable. He deserves so much credit because he doesn’t have to.
“He could make so much money fighting anybody he wants, but he wants to test himself against great fighters and great champions. That’s why this guy is a legend of the sport, a generational great,” said Hearn about the champions Canelo has beaten in the last three years.
One by one, you can discredit all of Canelo’s wins over the champions he’s beaten since 2019 because all of them were essentially the paper variety.
Belt-hungry Saul Alvarez’s wins over ‘champion’ since 2018:
- Rocky Fielding – WBA secondary 168-lb belt
- Billy Joe Saunders – WBO 168-lb champion
- Callum Smith – WBA Super World super middleweight
- Caleb Plant – IBF 168-lb champion
- Daniel Jacobs – IBF 160-lb
- Sergey Kovalev – WBO 175
Canelo to fight Makabu or Ryder in December
“I’m his promoter; what a touch. In December, we’re already talking to Eddy Reynoso, getting that fight planned,” said Hearn about Canelo’s third fight this year. ”
There’s Makabu at cruiserweight that is an option, which is an option. There’s John Ryder; he’ll probably be mandatory for Canelo Alvarez.
“Saul really wants to fight in London. That’s a fight there. The Makabu fight could be in Mexico. There’s Joe Smith Jr, [Artur] Beterbiev. I love the plan to be undisputed at 175 as well. The trilogy fight with Gennadiy Golovkin is the biggest fight in boxing.
“The opportunities are endless, and when you’ve got a guy that will fight anyone, it’s brilliant. It’s not like, ‘Eddie, what about Beterbiev?’ They love the Beterbiev fight, and that’s a brutal fight. One day that fight will get made, but they’re excited about that fight.
“It was a big day for us yesterday, and we can’t wait to get started,” said Hearn.
It would be a mistake for Canelo to fight WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu in December rather than a quality fighter that boxing fans want to see him fight.
Canelo needs to break his habit of cherry-picking weak champions again and again. Fans weren’t impressed with Canelo’s recent wins over British super middleweights Billy Joe Saunders, Callum Smith, or Rocky Fielding.
Canelo picked up three belts the easy way against arguably paper champions instead of fighting talented fighters. If Canelo goes after a belt at cruiserweight, he needs to fight IBF champion Mairis Briedis or WBO champion Lawrence Okolie.
