Tag: callum smith

David Benavidez’s dream opponent? Canelo Alvarez

David Benavidez wants to clean out the 168-pound division and then face Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.

David Benavidez’s immediate goal is to get super middleweight rival Caleb Plant into the ring for a title-unification showdown. And his plan is to beat all the top 168-pounders, thus taking control of the division.

He also has a dream opponent, though: Canelo Alvarez.

“One of my dreams … if I win all the belts … the dream match for me would be Canelo [Alvarez],” Benavidez told The PBC Podcast. “But I don’t really speak on that fight too much because everybody is calling out Canelo now. I feel what I got to do now [is] beat everybody. I gotta make the people want that fight. …

“And if the people want that fight, I’m pretty sure it can be made. I feel like it’s maybe three years down in the future, but that’s definitely my main goal. But I still have a lot of great fighters to go through.”

Benavidez (22-0, 19 KOs) regained a version of the 168-pound title by stopping a bloodied Anthony Dirrell in nine rounds this past September.

The 23-year-old Arizonan expects to face No. 1 contender Avni Yildirim next, although nothing is set. And he mentioned British titleholders Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders as possible opponents.

What about Plant, with whom Benavidez has developed a contentious relationship on-line and beyond? That’s the one he wants most. And he hopes the fight can be made late this year or early next year.

“I feel like that’s the fight that’s going to define my career and that’s really what I want,” he said. “… This the fight I think about most. … I think about it all day, before I go to sleep. This is something I want. Just so I can prove I’m the best super middleweight in the world.”

Billy Joe Saunders waits on Canelo Alvarez: ‘I’m ready to fight’

Billy Joe Saunders said he’d be willing to fight Canelo Alvarez in Mexico if that’s what it takes to get the fight made.

Billy Joe Saunders waits. Mostly, he wonders. But there’s still no word from Canelo Alvarez on whom he intends to fight on May 2.

It’s beginning to sound as if the frustrated Saunders won’t wait much longer. Make a decision, Saunders says, or else he is prepared to move on to another option, perhaps against another reported Alvarez possibility, Callum Smith.

“I’m up for the fight,’’ Saunders said about Alvarez during an interview with Sky Sports. “I’ve not priced myself out. I’ve asked right. I’m willing to travel for Cinco de Mayo. I can only do so much. I can only offer myself. If they really want to fight, then let’s get it on. We’ve got 12 weeks. If not, me and Callum Smith will get it on in a big fight. A huge unification fight.

“I hear Smith is the frontrunner. Then I hear I’m the frontrunner. If it doesn’t happen, I think me and Callum should fight.’’

Saunders, a super-middleweight champion, said he would even travel to Mexico to face Alvarez, who hasn’t fought in his home country in more than eight years. His last fight in Mexico was on Nov. 26, 2011, a fifth-round stoppage of Kermit Cintron in Mexico City.

“I would go to Mexico, if they want, as long as they have got a fair, square ring,” Saunders said. “Let’s see who the best is. I fear no man. If they want to fight, I’m ready to fight. I’m the WBO super middleweight champion.

“He’s a three-weight world champion, not four like he keeps saying. I wanted to be busy, I wanted to be out mid-February. But the Canelo fight got mentioned and you have to have patience. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.’’

In the wake of reports that talks for an Alvarez fight in Japan against Ryota Murata fell apart a few weeks ago, there has been widespread speculation about Alvarez’s opponent for the annual bout celebrating Cinco de Mayo.

Saunders and Smith, also a 168-pound champion, make sense. So far, however, there has only been silence from Alvarez about what – who – is next.

“The problem is, I’ve been here before,’’ Saunders said. “I’ve been here twice with Gennadiy Golovkin, I’ve been here twice with Canelo.

“These big fights? I’ve been before and seen the carpet pulled (out from under me). So I’m not excited. The only time I get excited is when I put pen to paper.”

Canelo Alvarez more and more likely to face Smith or Saunders

A fight between Canelo Alvarez and Ryota Murata now seems unlikely, which could open the door for either Callum Smith or Billy Joe Saunders.

It looks as if Canelo Alvarez is taking the first steps in finding an opponent other than Ryota Murata for a fight in early May.

Eddie Hearn, of Matchroom Boxing, says Alvarez’s management has had minor discussions about Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders. It’s a further sign that talks for an Alvarez-Murata fight in Japan on May 2, the Saturday before Cinco de Mayo, have fallen apart.

“It’s really going to come down to who Canelo Alvarez chooses,’’ Hearn told iFL TV. “There’s been minor conversations about both fighters, and they’re both aware of that.

“I think, there’s a long way to go to making a deal. But I do believe: Who else are they going to choose?’’

Both Smith and Saunders hold super middleweight titles. Alvarez, still the reigning middleweight champion, would defend his 160-pound belts against Murata. But there’s speculation that Canelo would struggle to get back down to 160 after fighting at 175 pounds in a 10th-round stoppage of Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas. Canelo relinquished the light heavyweight belt he took from Kovalev.

Canelo presumably could get down to 168 than 160. From Hearns’ perspective, that means either Smith or Saunders. Also, a deal with either would be easy to do. Both Smith and Saunders are tied to DAZN, which signed Canelo to a $365-million contract in October 2018.  However, Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya has said there’s no interest in Saunders.

“Ultimately, as I’ve said, Canelo is the boss and Canelo will choose,’’ Hearn said. “But Billy and Callum are desperate for this fight.’’

Callum Smith still hoping to win Canelo Alvarez lottery

Callum Smith, a super middleweight champion, is trying keep himself in line for the big money that comes with a shot at Canelo Alvarez.

The campaign to be Canelo Alvarez’s next opponent continues.

Callum Smith, a super middleweight champion, is trying keep himself in line for the big money that comes with a shot at Alvarez in a fight projected to happen on Cinco De Mayo weekend in early May.

“I think everyone is just waiting to see who he picks,’’ Smith told Soccer AM, a Sky Sports’ talk show.

The waiting game continues amid uncertainty about talks for Alvarez to fight Ryota Murata in Japan. Negotiations are going nowhere, according to a report by ESPN, which cited an unnamed source.

Alvarez, still a reigning middleweight titleholder, is expected to go back down in weight after he relinquished the light heavyweight belt he took from Sergey Kovalev by a 10th-round stoppage in his last bout Nov. 2 in Las Vegas.

Murata fights at 160 pounds. Smith is at 168. Billy Joe Saunders, who holds another 168-pound belt, is also believed to be a possible Alvarez opponent.

“If it is me, I would be happy,’’ Smith said. “If not, I’m in a good division. There’s a lot of big fights out there for me, outside Canelo Alvarez, so I’m in a good position. It’s just sitting and waiting and hopefully we can get one of the big names sorted.

“Styles make fights. I think I’m a bit of a bad fight for him. I’m 6-foot-3. I’m a lot bigger than him. I can punch. Style-wise, I’m not ideal to fight, but I’m not taking anything away from Canelo Alvarez. He’s a special fighter and he’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world for a reason.

“I wouldn’t say he’s avoided me. I just think there’s a big list of opponents who want to fight him. So he’s got the choice of many, and he picks who he wants to fight. Whoever gets the job, takes it.”

Canelo Alvarez vs. Ryota Murata in Japan? They’re talking

Canelo Alvarez and Ryota Murata are negotiating to fight this spring, multiple outlets have reported.

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.

Oscar De La Hoya: Billy Joe Saunders not Canelo Alvarez’s first choice

Oscar De La Hoya, the promoter of Canelo Alvarez, said that Billy Joe Saunders is not the front runner to face his fighter on May 2.

Billy Joe Saunders isn’t the leading candidate to fight Canelo Alvarez on May 2, according to Alvarez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya.

Saunders, a 168-pound titleholder had been rumored to be Alvarez’s first choice for his next fight.

De La Hoya was talking about Alvarez’s immediate plans during a SecondsOut video interview when he squelched the rumor.

“I’ll tell you one thing,” he said. “Saunders is not the front runner, that’s for sure. I have no idea who threw that name out there. But once we nail down who it’s going to be, we’ll make an announcement shortly

“I have a trip to Mexico with Canelo and his team [scheduled}. We’ll sit down, I’ll stay there a few days, iron out a deal and take it from there.”

Saunders has been considered a leading candidate for several reasons. One, everyone seems to agree that 168 pounds would be the best weight for him. And Saunders is one of the four super middleweight titleholders.

A fight with Saunders and Callum Smith, another beltholder, would be the easiest fights to make. David Benavidez and Caleb Plant also hold 168-pound titles but they fight for rival Premier Boxing Champions, which would make negotiations complicated.

Another option would be a move back down to 160, although De La Hoya doesn’t seem to be keen on that idea.

“Just because of experience, going up to 160 and coming back to 147, maybe it would be a little difficult for him. But he has the option.”

Alvarez hasn’t fought at 160 since he defeated Gennadiy Golovkin by a majority decision in September 2018.

In his last fight, Alvarez stopped Sergey Kovalev to win a title at 175 pounds. He gave up the title shortly afterward, an indication that he has no plans to fight at light heavyweight.

Eric Gomez: 168 pounds is Canelo Alvarez’s ‘best weight class’

Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez believes 168 pounds is the best weight for Canelo Alvarez at this stage of his career.

Canelo Alvarez’s immediate future remains up in the air.

Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez told ESPN.com that Alvarez will fight next on May 2, which was expected. He generally fights on Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Who will he fight? No one is off the table, although Brits Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders seem to be in the mix.

The only thing that seems likely is that Alvarez will fight at or around 168 pounds, although anything is possible in that regard too. He’s coming off a KO victory over Sergey Kovalev to win a 175-pound belt in November but gave it up.

“I personally feel that’s the best weight class, where he’s going to be the best at, at this point in his career,” Gomez said. “That’s the weight class he’s going to feel the best, the strongest. But it doesn’t necessarily mean he won’t go back to light heavyweight, he still has that possibility.

“Giving up the title, yes, it was about the weight, but it wasn’t all about the weight.”

A fight with Smith or Saunders makes sense because it would allow Alvarez to win a 168-pound title and enhance his exposure in the U.K., wherever the fight takes place. Alvarez beat Rocky Fielding to win what the WBA calls its “regular” super middleweight title but Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize that belt.

Of course, Alvarez could also fight Gennadiy Golovkin a third time.

“We’re not ruling out anybody – everybody, even at 160 pounds,” Gomez said. “If he wants to go back to 160 pounds or if there’s any of the champions that want to move up, face him, we’re not ruling anything out.”

Eddie Hearn: If Saunders or Smith can’t get Canelo? Fight each other

Eddie Hearn believes Canelo Alvarez will fight either Billy Joe Saunders or Callum Smith. If not, Hearn says, they should fight each other.

Billy Joe Saunders and Callum Smith are lobbying to be Canelo Alvarez’s opponent in the Mexican’s next fight. But if Alvarez decides on somebody else, promoter Eddie Hearn says, the U.K. super middleweights should fight each other.

Alvarez’s plans for his next bout, projected to be on May 2, are still unclear. He relinquished the light heavyweight belt he took from Sergey Kovalev on Nov. 2. There’s still talk about a move back down the scale to middleweight for a third fight against Gennadiy Golovkin.

“If he (Alvarez) doesn’t fight one of those guys next, then they should fight each other, and they should unify,’’ Hearn told iFL TV.

Hearn, who promotes both Saunders and Smith, said he still believes Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) will decide to fight one of the two. Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) and Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) each hold one of the 168-pound belts.

Alvarez won what the WBA calls its “regular” super middleweight title when he stopped overmatched Rocky Fielding (28-2, 16 KOs) in December but Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize that belt. Smith is the actual WBA titleholder.

Canelo Alvarez says he likes idea of fighting overseas

Canelo Alvarez told DAZN during Ruiz-Joshua II that he would be willing fight in Saudi Arabia, England or Japan in the near future.

Boxing’s biggest cash cow may be taking his show on the road.

Two-division titleholder Canelo Alvarez was in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia to support countryman Andy Ruiz Jr. in his highly anticipated heavyweight rematch against Anthony Joshua, who wound up winning a wide decision to regain his heavyweight titles.

Alvarez, who is coming off a 11th round knockout of Sergey Kovalev to win a light heavyweight title, gave an interview during the DAZN broadcast discussing his plans. He, for one, is not opposed to staging his next fight in the Arabian desert.

“Of course, why not?” Alvarez said. “It’s an excellent opportunity. Of course, I can see myself fighting anywhere in the world.”

Alvarez has fought exclusively in North America, with the majority of his fights taking place in Las Vegas. He has also fought in San Antonio and New York City.

Alvarez continued: “I can see myself fighting here (Saudi Arabia), fighting in Japan, in England. Believe me, this is something. What a moment it would be for my career to fight anywhere in the world for the right opportunity.”

In Japan, Alvarez has a potentially lucrative matchup against domestic middleweight star Ryota Murata. Previously, there were talks about Alvarez’s arch-nemesis Gennadiy Golovkin facing Murata at the Tokyo Dome but nothing ever materialized. An Alvarez-Murata fight would be even bigger.

In England, there are options with super middleweights Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders, although the former is probably a more marketable fight. Smith’s brain trust have been vocal about facing Alvarez.

 

Canelo Alvarez trainer Eddy Reynoso floats four possible foes for May

Eddy Reynoso, the trainer of Canelo Alvarez, said we’ll learn soon who his fighter will face in May.

Eddy Reynoso, the trainer of Canelo Alvarez, said his fighter’s opponent for May will be announced on Jan. 15, according to BoxingNews24.com. And it won’t be at 175 pounds.

At least four possible opponents are being considered, the website reported. In his last fight, Alvarez moved up to 175 pounds and stopped Sergey Kovalev to win a light heavyweight title on Nov. 2.

“There are a lot of names,” Reynoso said. “The (Gennadiy) Golovkin trilogy, Callum Smith, John Ryder, Billy Joe Saunders. “We have five months until the date we have in May for when Canelo always fights in.

“There’s plenty of time for Canelo to go back down to 160 or 168. That’s not a problem for us. Right now, we’re going to give it to DAZN to see what’s available to us out there. We plan on making an announcement for the fight in May for Canelo on January 15, after the New Year.”

Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 knockouts) has said repeatedly that he’s not excited about the prospect of facing Golovkin (40-1-1, 35 KOs) a third time, saying in effect “that’s finished business” after they drew in 2017 and Alvarez won the rematch on points last year.

However, it’s a fight the fans would embrace. And Alvarez also has said, “if it represents (good) business, why not?”

Golovkin, who won a vacant middleweight title by outpointing tough Sergiy Derevyanchenko in October, is tentatively scheduled to face mandatory challenger Kamil Szeremeta in February.

That means a January announcement might be too late for Golovkin, who presumably would jump at the chance to fight Alvarez one more time but might not wait around for the opportunity.

Smith, a 168-pound titleholder, is coming off a so-so performance against a surprisingly tough Ryder but won by a unanimous decision on Nov. 23. The Englishman is an attractive opponent because he holds the WBA super middleweight title.

Reynoso told BoxingNews24.com that Alvarez has not given up his WBA “regular” 168-pound title, contrary to some reports. Boxing Junkie doesn’t recognize that belt.

Ryder (28-5, 16 KOs) presumably is in the picture because of his inspired performance against Smith (27-0, 19 KOs). Some believe the relatively unknown Londoner did enough to win the fight.

And Billy Joe Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs), another 168-pound titleholder from England, also is coming off a mediocre performance. He stopped Marcelo Coceres in the 11th round but struggled up until that point on Nov. 9.