By Jack Tiernan: Eddie Hearn has a handful of backup options for Canelo Alvarez to fight on Cinco de Mayo next May if he’s unable to get his #1 target opponent Dmitry Bivol in a rematch.
According to Hearn, Canelo (58-2-2, 39 KOs) has told him that he wants to avenge his loss to WBA light heavyweight champion Bivol (21-0, 11 KOs).
But if by chance that unified 175-lb champion Artur Beterbiev is free to face Bivol in early 2023, that will leave Canelo without a dance partner for his next fight in May.
Hearn’s plan B options for Canelo:
- Chris Eubank Jr
- Jaime Munguia
- John Ryder
- Jermall Charlo
- David Benavidez
Some of those fighters probably won’t be available to fight Canelo next May, but Hearn should be able to get at least one of them. Munguia would be an obvious candidate for Canelo to fight, and it would interest a lot of boxing fans.
With Munguia’s improvements in boxing skills, he could prove to be a tough out for Saul, and I don’t know if this would be the right guy for the Mexican star.
If Canelo gasses out early as he did against Gennadiy Golovkin last September and Bivol last May, Munguia might beat him. It’s surprising out stubbornly resistant Canelo’s poor stamina has been to his attempts to improve that area.
“The challenge for Saul is finding fights that actually motivate him, and for me, I think that’s boxing internationally,” said Eddie Hearn to the DAZN Boxing Show when asked who Canelo Alvarez can fight next May if Dmitry Bivol isn’t available for him to face in a rematch.
“I don’t want to put just random names out there because people could say, ‘Oh, he could fight him.’ None of these have been discussed. Is it Chris Eubank Jr or John Ryder if he beats Zach Parker? He’d be mandatory in London.
“Is it Jaime Munguia at the Azteca in Mexico? Different landscapes and different challenges, but right now, his mind is fixed on the challenge of Dmitry Bivol. That’s really all that it’s on his mind at the moment.
“A lot of these fighters, they don’t necessarily need to fight. It’s not like they’re just going to take whatever opportunity that presents itself. The opportunity has got to be right, and it’s got to get Saul out of the bed in the morning. It’s got to get him pumped.
“Right now, the one that’s burning him and giving him the fire inside is to avenge his defeat. It’s pretty obvious. He’s a winner. I’m sure there are other options out there with other promoters as well.
“Is it the [Jermall] Charlo fight? You’ve got Benavidez against Plant. That’s the kind of fight that Saul was saying to those guys, ‘Have those fights and let’s build into a massive fight.’ If Benavidez does beat Plant, that is a big fight. Benavidez vs. Canelo that’s a huge fight.
“One thing I know about Saul is he’d fight anybody. So, it’s ones that excite him, and that could come from maybe fighting internationally. I don’t know. We haven’t really gotten deep into it beyond, ‘I would like to try and avenge the defeat to Dmitry Bivol,'” said Hearn about Canelo.