After Canelo Alvarez signed his new deal with HBO he stated, “I am ready to make history. When we made the move to HBO we thought of all the possibilities that can happen and we believe we are going to do great things with this network.” It’s hard not to agree with Alvarez given the new window of opportunities that have just surfaced. There is a long list of HBO fighters waiting to fight the young Mexican phenom.Manny Pacquiao is one of the possible fights for Alvarez despite the weight discrepancy. When Alvarez was asked how he would deal with Pacquiao in the ring he answered, “At this high level stage of boxing, one needs plan A, B, and C to be successful in the ring.” Freddie Roach has shown interest in putting in his Filipino fighter in the ring, but even more interest in his Puerto Rican pupil, Miguel Angel Cotto.
The Cotto bout is the most probable candidate for next year given the fact both fighters are in the same division, and match-up well stylistically. Most experts predict a classic Puerto Rico vs. Mexico bout that will end in knockout. Neither fighter is an overwhelming favorite to win, which captivates the public interest. This bout has the potential to be one of the most lucrative fights in recent years. It will be a shock if this bout does not happen some time next year.
Another fight in the horizon is with knockout artist Gennady Golovkin. There is a misperception Golovkin is much physically larger than Alvarez, but both fighters have similar physical statures. Golovkin and Alvarez both tend to rehydrate at around 170lbs on fight night. Canelo has sparred Golovkin in the past and said, “We did very good sparring. He is a strong fighter and not only is he a good fighter, but he’s also a good person. If we end up facing each other I wouldn’t mind. This is a sport after all.”
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was also mentioned as a possible opponent and Alvarez stated, “Yes he is a possible opponent. There are a lot of rivals I can fight. I do not know which fights will actually happen, but I would love to fight against everyone.”
These compelling fights are bound to come into fruition after Alvarez’s scheduled bout this December. Expect Alvarez to possibly become the biggest box office draw in these upcoming years, as great fights wait in the horizon. Also an interesting fact to point out is, Golden Boy plans to have Alvarez fight on PPV and non-PPV bouts each year. He will not solely become a PPV attraction such as Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Manny Pacquiao. Golden Boy has stated, “We plan to have him fight PPV along with at least one free fight a year.”
