Canelo Alvarez already has plans for a world tour when he successfully unifies the super middleweight division against IBF champion Caleb Plant in September.
Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing says Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) wants to fight in the UK, Middle East, and the Far East once he finishes unifying the 168-lb division this year.
Hearn isn’t saying who Canelo will be fighting in those countries, as it won’t make much sense for him to fight in those locations unless he’s facing a local fighter.
Of course, if this is about money and finding a country willing to pay a ton of money for a site fee, it’s logical for Canelo to fight abroad.
If Canelo is going to drag a top fighter to the UK, Far East, or the Middle East, it will have to be someone popular.
It would be pointless for Canelo to face Another Billy Joe Saunders, Avni Yildirim, or Callum Smith type of fighter to those locations.
It’s got to be someone that actually has talent and has a chance of beating him like David Benavidez, Jermall Charlo, Demetrius Andrade, or Gennadiy Golovkin.
Alvarez has been on the mismatch circuit since his fight with Rocky Fielding in December 2018, and he needs to break out of that funk and start fighting quality.
Unfortunately, boxing fans will have to sit through more mismatch for Canel in his next fight against Caleb Plant because he’s arguably cut from the same cloth as Saunders and Callum Smith.
Caleb is a decent belt-holder, but not a quality champion you’d want to throw in the ring with Charlo, Golovkin, Benavidez, or Andrade.
Canelo world tour starts after Plant fight
“You saw one of the biggest stars in global boxing, and I think his plan now is to go and become undisputed,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn to Sky Sports about Canelo.
“That’s a fight with Caleb Plant, which I think will happen in Las Vegas in September.
“Then from there, he wants to go and box around the world. He would love to fight in the UK. I think his popularity here is through the roof,” Hearn said.
Boxing fans don’t want to see Canelo traveling to foreign countries and facing some poor sap that doesn’t belong in the same ring with him, as they’ve seen too many mismatches in the last three years.
Canelo recently talked about wanting to potentially fight IBF/WBC light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev after he unifies the 168-lb division.
If Canelo wants to travel abroad, he should go to Russia and fight Beterbiev in his home country, at the very least in Canada, where the Russian fighter now lives.
Alvarez wants to fight in the UK
“He’s beaten seven UK fighters over the years, so he’d love to fight here,” Hearn said of Alvarez. “He said he’d love to fight in the Middle East, the Far East.
“Of course, in Mexico again in a huge show, so I think you’re going to see him box around the world,” said Hearn.
Fighting in the UK would make sense if Canelo takes on light heavyweight Joshua Buatsi. He’s really the only one left for Canelo to fight from that country unless he wants to go up to cruiserweight and take on Lawrence Okolie. I’m not holding my breath waiting for Canelo to do that.
Alvarez is 7-0 against Brits; largely, he’s not been facing guys that could potentially beat him.