Canelo Alvarez vs. Callum Smith set for Dec. 19

Canelo Alvarez announced on Instagram that he will face super middleweight titleholder Callum Smith on Dec. 19 in the United States.

Canelo Alvarez and Callum Smith have reached a deal.

The Mexican star, who recently became a free agent, announced on Instagram that he will face the super middleweight titleholder from England on Dec. 19 in the United States, probably at AT&T Stadium or the Alamodome in Texas.

The fight will be streamed on DAZN for what is believe to be a one-fight agreement. Smith is promoted by Eddie Hearn, who is affiliated with the streaming service.

Alvarez later tweeted the news. Hearn confirmed the agreement on Twitter.

“I’ll be returning to the ring on December 19th to face Callum Smith,” Alvarez tweeted.

Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) will be fighting for the first time since he stopped Sergey Kovalev to win a light heavyweight title in November of last year.

Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) holds the WBA 168-pound title, meaning he would represent an opportunity for Alvarez to win a major title in a fourth division. Alvarez holds a secondary super middleweight title, which Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize.

Alvarez’s trainer-manager Eddy Reynoso announced on Nov. 6 that his fighter had cut ties with Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN, which put an end to a lawsuit he had filed against his handlers.

Alvarez sued his handlers for breach of contract on Sept. 15 for at least $280 million in damages and freedom to go his own way. The suit was thrown out of court on a technicality and then refiled, although the sides engaged in extension negotiations in an attempt to reach an agreement.

DAZN reportedly had refused to pay him his full guarantee unless he fought what the streaming service deemed a premium opponent. That included Gennadiy Golovkin but not super middleweight titleholders Smith and Billy Joe Saunders, who are top-level fighters but not the type of draws DAZN had sought.

After the lawsuit was filed, DAZN reportedly offered Alvarez a restructured deal by which the fighter would earn a base of $20 million plus a percentage of money generated by additional DAZN subscriptions, according to The Athletic.

Alvarez’s original contract guaranteed him $35 million per fight. It is believed he will make less than that for the Dec. 19 fight.

DAZN’s late offer also addressed the issue of opponent approval, which reportedly would have been shared under the restructured deal. However, the sides were unable to reach a deal and agreed to part ways.

Alvarez will be favored to beat Smith but he Liverpudlian is no pushover. He is 6-foot-3, seven inches taller than Alvarez. And Smith will also have a 7½-inch reach advantage. Both fighters are 30 years old.

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