Who should Canelo Alvarez fight next?

By Boxing News - 05/10/2022 - Comments

By Dan Ambrose: Canelo Alvarez still hasn’t activated his rematch clause to set in motion a second fight against WBA light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, and it’s believed that he’s having second thoughts about facing him again.

Canelo looked shattered mentally after his defeat, speaking to his fans and telling them “my heart hurts” after losing a one-sided 12-round unanimous decision to Bivol (20-0, 11 KOs) last Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Moments after the contest ended, a beaten, red-faced Canelo (57-2-2, 39 KOs) said he would take a rematch with Bivol, but at the post-fight press conference, the Mexican star was already backtracking, saying he wasn’t certain who he would face next.

It’s fair to say that the echo effect from that loss has further dissuaded Canelo from taking the rematch with Bivol. For that reason, it’s possible that Canelo will elect to move back down to 168 to fight someone in that weight class.

If Canelo does return to the super-middleweight division, these are the likely opponents for his next fight in September

  • Gennadiy Golovkin
  • John Ryder

It’s safe to say that Jermall Charlo or David Benavidez won’t be an option for Canelo’s next fight in September because they’re with Showtime, and the Mexican star is signed with DAZN & Matchroom Boxing for two more contests this year.

Golovkin (42-1-1, 37 KOs) would have to be seen as the most likely option for Canelo’s fight in September because there is huge interest in that match-up for fans. Moreover, it’s one that will sell on DAZN PPV.

It would be a bad idea for Canelo to face British fighter John Ryder next, as that would be a tough sell for DAZN to put the match on pay-per-view for $60 to $80.

If Canelo is going to redeem himself after his loss to Golovkin, he must face a credible opponent that casual boxing fans in the U.S are familiar with. Ryder would be a waste of time for Canelo to fight, and fans would view it as a return to the cherry-picking ways for the Mexican star.

“It was a different fight, my fight against Canelo and his fight against Canelo. It’s two different Canelos,” said Dmitry Bivol to Fighthype when asked to compare his victory over Canelo Alvarez to the 2013 win by Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“Then he was younger, and his style was a little bit different,” Bivol continued about how Canelo had changed over the years. “Now, he’s gotten bigger, more confident, and his style is more aggressive. It’s a different style.

“Floyd, of course, beat him well. This was the first fight that I saw Canelo. He was good, but Mayweather, of course, was better. My fight was good too, but it was two different fights.

“I took only Mayweather’s confidence,” Bivol said when asked what he learned from watching the Mayweather vs. Canelo fight.

“I saw their fight, and Mayweather was confident that he could beat this guy because they’re both just human, first of all,” said Bivol.

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