Canelo Alvarez reportedly will not be fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
The handlers of Alvarez and super middleweight titleholder Billy Joe Saunders, who had agreed to fight on May 2 in Las Vegas, have postponed their bout until at least June because of the coronavirus threat, according to BoxingScene.com.
And, of course, there are no guarantees that it will take place at that time because of the uncertainty of the pandemic.
The Alvarez-Saunders bout was expected to be formally announced last week and a kickoff promotion was scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles. Now those involved, as well as the pubic, is in a wait-and-see mode.
The powers that be in boxing, like those in other sports, are adjusting day to day to the spreading threat.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission banned all combat sports events through March 25 but almost certainly will extend that order.
Alvarez and Saunders have been training for their fight, Alvarez in San Diego and Saunders in Las Vegas. It’s unclear how the postponement and prospect of further delays will affect their regimens.
Alvarez will be attempting to win a title in a fourth weight division whenever the two actually begin exchanging punches.