Those US fight fans who don’t really fancy having to part with the substantial sum of $70 to see the Saul Canelo Alvarez-Liam Smith clash in Las Vegas (UK fans with BoxNation will be able to tune in without shelling out any dollars!) might have a change of heart if the ongoing plans for the supporting bouts come to fruition.
According to Golden Boy’s Eric Gomez, who spoke with RingTV.com, WBA heavyweight titlist Luis Ortiz could face his mandatory, Alexander Ustinov on the card, and WBO middleweight champ Billy Joe Saunders could face a TBA on the September 17th bill.
The heavyweight fight, with the winner then in line to face the winner of the Tyson Fury-Wladimir Klitschko return fight (if it ever happens, and it seems we have already been waiting ages) could pull in a extra few hundred thousand fans, while it will interesting to see just who Saunders might face on the card.
According to Golden Boy, a plan for the future is for Canelo to face Saunders. Gomez told Ring that nothing has been agreed upon, the possible match-up having reached nothing but the talking stage at this point, but it seems Canelo likes facing British fighters. First it was Amir Khan at 155, now it is Smith, the WBO 154-pound champ, and then it could be Saunders, the 160-pound WBO boss. Of course, Canelo has to beat Smith first (and “Beefy” and his accomplished trainer Joe Gallagher have other ideas) but Golden Boy are hoping their big star will be able to get three fights in this year: Khan, Smith and then another fight, possibly against Saunders, on December 10th.
Canelo is of course the big attraction on the upcoming Sept. 17th card, but if the heavyweight title fight goes ahead on the bill, it might steal at least some of the attention. Ortiz, a powerfully talented Cuban southpaw who seemingly no-one wants to go anywhere near, will in Ustinov be facing a big man who is usually durable. If Ortiz looks as good as he has done against the likes of Bryant Jennings and Tony Thompson, Fury or Klitschko might not relish the idea of having to fight him.
Let’s hope Golden Boy can get this fight on the September card, and Saunders too. Canelo-Smith is neither a great fight nor a poor fight – arguably somewhere in-between – and it needs a solid under-card so as to give the paying fans value for their money.