Canelo Alvarez and Ryota Murata are negotiating to fight this spring, multiple outlets have reported.
Alvarez, who still holds two middleweight titles, told Sports Illustrated recently that he’s interested in fighting in Japan. Murata, a resident of Tokyo, is very popular in his home country.
“I’ve been thinking about fighting all over the world,” Alvarez told SI.com. “Tokyo, Japan, has been one of the primary places on my mind.”
SI reported that Alvarez has not committed to fighting Murata next. He reportedly is still considering 168-pound titleholders Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders.
Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) has not announced the weight at which his next fight will take place. He’s coming off a knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev in November but gave up the title, a clear indication that he doesn’t want to fight at 175 pounds.
The prevailing wisdom is that Alvarez will fight at super middleweight, meaning his matchup with Murata (16-2, 13 KOs) could take place at 168 pounds or perhaps at a catch weight between 160 and 168.
Murata is best known for winning a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics. The 34-year-old has won two in a row since he lost a wide decision to Rob Brant in October 2018.