Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez said Wednesday that he will be ready to return to the ring in May and hopes to get a rematch against light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol in September.
Alvarez (58-2-2, 39) made the announcement during an event in Mexico City to present his new drink brand VMC. Alvarez finished 2022 with a 1-1 record, including a victory in the trilogy fight against Gennadiy Golovkin in September and a loss to Bivol in May.
“My plan right now is to return in May. I’m going to start training in January and see how I feel after that,” Alvarez said, referring to his recovery from left wrist surgery last month that put his May return in jeopardy.
About a possible opponent for May, he said Bivol is not an option, even though he does want the rematch later in the year.
“The idea is to return in May with a tuneup fight to see how I feel and then get the rematch against Bivol in September,” Alvarez said. “That’s the only thing I want for my career right now.”
Alvarez, 32, ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound fighter, does have his eyes on the super middleweight bout between Caleb Plant and David Benavidez, a mandatory fight recently ordered by the WBC. ESPN ranks Canelo No. 1, Benavidez No. 2 and Plant No. 3 in that division.
“Let’s see how that fight goes,” Alvarez said. “It’s a very competitive fight and to me, I see Benavidez winning, but my focus is on the Bivol rematch.”