Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez has revealed a sliver of information about his next fight on May 4th, revealing that he won’t be facing a Mexican fighter on the Cinco de Mayo holiday, choosing instead an American.
This information means Canelo will not be facing Jaime Munguia, his #1 WBO contender at 168, and a fighter that some fans want to see him fight. U.S. fans are not among them. They want to see Canelo face David Benavidez, but that’s not likely to happen.
“There is no shooting between Mexicans!” Canelo stated, as reported by Box Azteca on X. “Canelo’ Álvarez assures that he will not face Jaime Munguía in May.”
Why the Secrecy?
It’s believed that Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs) is still negotiating with his American opponent and doesn’t want to confirm the fight until the match is signed. The believed frontrunner for the fight is WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo (33-0, 22 KOs), the twin brother of Canelo’s last opponent, Jermell Charlo.
That’s an opponent that fans on social media are NOT excited about seeing. They view Jermall as being washed at 33 and no longer the fighter he once was due to his years of inactivity and his problems outside of the ring.
Jermall made a comeback recently after 2.5 years of inactivity, defeating Jose Benavidez Jr. by a ten-round unanimous decision last November, showing brief flashes of the fighter he once was, but not nearly the same guy that had soundly beaten the likes of Sergiy Derevyanchenko, Julian Williams and Austin Trout during the best years of his career.
There won’t be too many tears from fans that Munguia isn’t getting the spot, as he didn’t look that great in his last two fights against older guys, 35-year-old John Ryder and 38-year-old Sergiy Derevyanchenko.
Awaiting the Big Reveal
People are waiting for Canelo Alvarez to make an official announcement for his next fight on May 4th. Ideally, Canelo would surprise the fans by choosing David Benavidez rather than Jermall or another American as his next opponent for Cinco de Mayo on May 4th.
Boxing fans would be pleased if Canelo fought WBA ‘regular’ super middleweight champion David Morrell Jr. on May 4th. Morrell is not American and is not well known among casual boxing fans in the U.S. For hardcore fans, Morrell would be just as good as Benavidez.