The Canelo Sweepstakes: Do We Have a Winner?

There are a handful of fighters whose every move is monitored. They help define the metrics of the sport.

Saul Alvarez is right at the top of that heap right now.

Since a unification win over Caleb Plant last year at super middleweight, speculation about what would be next for Alvarez has never been far from the headlines. Every fighter has options. Alvarez, like Mayweather, Pacquiao, Tyson, De La Hoya, and other rainmakers before him, has abundant choices.

Is Alvarez about to make one?  

A report from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger on Wednesday stated Alvarez is near a two-fight deal with DAZN for pay-per-view contests with light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol and a third clash with middleweight rival Gennady Golovkin.

It’s not final and we may yet be surprised. Showtime delivered a successful event with Alvarez against Plant and has fan friendly choices available. Middleweight titlist Jermall Charlo ( has been the speculated option if Alvarez were to choose to continue business with Showtime in his next fight and that would open the door for fights down the road with someone like David Benavidez if Alvarez kept winning.

Different fight fans will have their preferences. Some preferences will reflect rooting interests. Some will reflect what is perceived to be the best bang for a buck.

If the immediate choices are between Bivol and Charlo, it’s hard to be disappointed either way. Either way, it would be Alvarez’s ninth fight against a TBRB or Ring champion or top ten contender in his last ten fights. 

It says a lot about how little everyone else has to complain about when they are left waiting. No one in the three weight classes Alvarez has competed in over the last five years has remotely done the same kind of work.      

In Bivol (19-0, 11 KO), Alvarez would be facing no worse than the second best light heavyweight in the world right now. Since winning one of the lesser versions of a WBA belt, Bivol has beaten some of the better fighters in the division. Issac Chilemba, Sullivan Barrera and Joe Smith were all still highly regarded. Smith has gone on to win a belt. Jean Pascal came before the veteran had a resurgence against Marcus Browne and  (and later a failed PED test).

His last three fights haven’t been as impressive but there is enough to mark his merit. 

Taller, longer, and still only 31, Bivol isn’t just another guy. He’s a class fighter with a chance to win.

Mileage will vary on a Bivol bout possibly leading to a third Golovkin fight and there are obstacles there. Golovkin is still supposed to travel to Japan and face Ryoto Murata in a middleweight unification. Golovkin should win but nearing 40 anything can happen. An impressive win could stoke fires that feel cooled since their second bout in 2018.

For now, none of the reports have this a done deal. Almost there is a funny place in boxing and it wouldn’t surprise to see the bidding war escalate before this is all set in stone. If Showtime finds a way to turn the tables, Alvarez could have a Charlo who had a nice run at Jr. middleweight and an impressive showing two fights ago against Sergey Derevyanchenko. 

Either way, it looks like we’re headed to a good Alvarez fight in the spring. 

What will everyone who didn’t get chosen this time do to improve their chances next time around?      

Cliff’s Notes…

Daniel Jacobs-John Ryder is an intriguing fight between a former titlist who looked like he barely wanted to be there in his last outing and a guy who was denied a title in a questionable decision. It’s a quiet crossroads fight…Finally tried Succession on HBO. It’s interesting but is there ever anyone on the show to actually root for…Juan Francisco Estrada-Joshua Franco would give another fresh option to Jr. bantamweight. The next generation is getting their chances…Showtime landing Errol Spence-Yordenis Ugas was a real coup. They’re winning the content quality battle when it comes to PBC showings versus Fox big over the last couple years…April is going to be expensive for boxing fans.  

Cliff Rold is the Managing Editor of BoxingScene, a founding member of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, a member of the International Boxing Research Organization, and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America.