The Mexican Style boxing that Billy Joe Saunders will be fighting on Saturday is not just about getting knocked down and getting back up, according to the champion. (0:42)
There are three options on the table for when he returns in May.
There is a one-fight deal on the table from the premier boxing champ to defend his title against Jermall Charlo, who would move up in weight for the challenge.
There is a two-fight deal from Eddie Hearn's Matchroom to face Dmitry Bivol, followed by a trilogy bout against Gennadiy Golovkin. The two boxers fought to a split draw in the summer of 2017, and then a year later, the two fought to a majority decision win.
Late last year, the World Boxing Council approved the fight between Alvarez and Junior Makabu, giving him a path to become a five-division champion.
What decision should he make? The challenges and advantages of fighting each opponent are addressed by Timothy Bradley Jr.
It makes perfect sense that the fight is between the two people. Although he is 6-foot tall, he has a good frame to build on, as he is coming up from 160 to 168 pounds. He has a 73 inch reach and 160 pound punching power. The power makes him dangerous. He has a championship background. Compared to any of the other opponents, Charlo has the best resume.
The result of being a champion for some time now is that the fighter known as "Charley" is a very confident one. He can sell this fight, not leave the responsibility of the fight to the other person. It makes a lot of sense. AT&T Stadium in Texas had set records for attendance when he beat Billy Joe Saunders.
It seems like an obvious opportunity to do something big in Houston, where Charlo lives and has a fan base.
Bivol looked good when he fought in December. He moved to 19-0. He had a 19-month inactive stretch between 2019 and 2021. Boxing fans know who he is, but casual people who might tune in for big fights might not. When it comes to making the next big fight, he is not a vocal guy and you have to look at every element. At the end of the day, it takes a combination of elements to make a great prize fight.
Bivol might be a problem in the ring. Alvarez likes to face opponents who stand in front of him, and he has a unique way of getting them to go for it early. That is when Alvarez takes over. He is the boss in the ring. He tries to counter with a high guard. If you can make him pay for every miss, you have a chance. I believe Bivol can do that. Bivol is larger than Alvarez. He is a champion at 175. He has displayed a lot of skills and has gotten a lot of respect.
I think Bivol would give him a run for his money.
He is at the top of his game. He was just getting there when he fought GGG. GGG has been inactive since October of last year, and he is clearly on the downward trajectory of his career.
One thing I know about older fighters is that they have to stay active to keep up with the times. You add in the jump from 160 to 168 pounds? He can pack on muscle for power. That is true. You will have tremendous power when you go up in weight. I do not think it is a good thing for Golovkin. He will be a lot slower than he was. He will be slower with his feet and hands.
In the first two fights, he had to work hard, but he knows GGG well. After two very close fights, I think he wears GGG down and stops him late in the fight.
Smith is a huge favorite over Alvarez, and Beterbiev is a smaller favorite over him.
It is hard to find a boxer who can match up with Alvarez. He is the best boxer in the world by a large margin, and it doesn't matter which style he faces or which weight he competes in.
Smith has improved his boxing ability, but he would be facing a huge disadvantage against Alvarez. Smith only hopes to land the perfect punch, but he will be in for a tough fight.
Beterbiev knows how to find openings. He is strong enough to contend with Alvarez inside. The chin of Beterbiev is questionable because he doesn't move his head. Beterbiev is great when he is rolling forward, but not very effective off the back foot.
One of the rare boxers who can win a fight coming forward or going backward is Aleman. It is difficult to deal with theVersatility and the adjustments it allows Canelo to make, and it is a big reason why he is so dominant.
The idea of a fight at cruiserweight came from the manager and trainer of the man.
If they win the cruiserweight title, they will be the first Mexican boxers to win titles in five different weight classes. Legacy has always been important to them.
Reynoso proposed a fight against Makabu, who is defending his title against Mchunu. Is it possible to fight the winner? The financial package for such a fight would pale in comparison to the two hard offers Alvarez has already received.
Makabu and Mchunu have little profile in the boxing world, and it is hard to see any network giving any kind of money for a fight of that magnitude.
He was earning $35 million per fight under his deal with Golden Boy, and he was guaranteed 40 million dollars for his November fight. The purse he got for his fight with Rocky Fielding was fifteen million dollars, which is the kind of purse he could be looking at for a cruiserweight title fight.
If that fight happens, he would be a huge favorite. In his only fight at 175 pounds, he knocked out Sergey Kovalev. The cruiserweight division has a weight limit of 200 pounds under most sanctioning bodies, but theWBC reduced it to 190 pounds in late 2020 to match the original weight limit when the division was launched in 1979.
Since Reynoso posed the possibility, it seems likely that Alvarez will fight at cruiserweight in the future. It makes sense from a business point of view as an in-between fight similar to the one Alvarez had against Avni Yildirim last February, rather than one of two annual tent pole events in May or September.
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