Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez Looking to Make History in WBA Cruiserweight Title Fight Against Arsen Goulamirian

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is looking to make history…

The 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer, who held the WBO super middleweight title from 2016 to 2019 and is the first boxer from Mexico to win a major world title in that weight class, will attempt to become the heaviest Mexican champion of all time when he challenges Armenia’s Arsen Goulamirian for the WBA cruiserweight title on Saturday in Inglewood, California.

Ramirez (27-0, 19 KOs) is a former 168-pound titleholder who will compete at the 200-pound limit for the first time as he looks to make history as the first Mexican champion above 175 pounds.

Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s top star, won a title at 175 in 2019 when he knocked out Sergey Kovalev.

But there has never been a Mexican-born champion at cruiserweight (200 pounds) or heavyweight (Andy Ruiz defeated Anthony Joshua for the unified heavyweight championship in 2019, but he’s a Mexican American boxer born and raised in Southern California).

“It’s something special because we never have [had] a Mexican [champion] that big,” Ramirez told ESPN. “… [A win] will be big for me, for all the fans in Mexico, for all the people. I think it’s history.”

Ramirez (45-1, 30 KOs) suffered his first career defeat when he challenged light heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol in November 2022. Afterward, Ramirez moved up to cruiserweight for a 193-pound catchweight decision win over Joe Smith in October.

The cruiserweight division has mostly been an afterthought in the U.S. since it was introduced in 1979. The legendary Evander Holyfield starred in the division as champion from 1986 to 1988 before he moved to heavyweight. And ever since, the cruiserweights have mostly been dormant stateside while being featured across Europe.

“We’ve never had a big, major rivalry or a big-name fighter at cruiserweight the way we’ve had with middleweights and heavyweights,” Ramirez’s promoter, Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya, told ESPN. “So I think that weight class just kind of gets lost in the shuffle a bit. But I think Zurdo has an opportunity here … if he looks great.”

Ramirez, who is 6-foot-2½, said he walks around between 210 and 215 pounds and believes he will have more power in his new weight class. ESPN’s No. 6 cruiserweight, Ramirez is a -215 favorite to defeat Goulamirian, per ESPN BET.

Goulamirian (27-0, 19 KOs) hasn’t competed since November 2022 and is now being trained by Abel Sanchez, who built Gennadiy Golovkin into a star boxer.

Goulamirian has made three title defenses, and all but three of his bouts have taken place in France. “This is my first fight in [the] United States and I am planning to put on a show,” Goulamirian, 36, said through his new adviser, Sam Katkovski.

“Cruiserweight has not been a division [that’s] popular in [the] United States, but I plan on changing that on Saturday.”

Joel Iriarte, a 17-time national amateur champion, will make his professional debut on the DAZN undercard after he signed with De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions earlier this month.

Canelo Alvarez to Fight Jaime Munguia in Las Vegas in May

Posted on March 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

May the Fourth be wih Canelo Alvarez.

The 33-year-old Mexican boxing superstar has finalized a deal to fight Jaime Munguia on May 4 fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight championship.

It’s a one-fight deal for Alvarez and Premier Boxing Champions, sources said, after the sides parted ways last week with two bouts remaining on a three-fight agreement signed last June.

It’s a coup for PBC to welcome Alvarez, boxing’s top star, back into the fold for its second pay-per-view offering as part of its new partnership with Amazon‘s Prime Video.

DAZN, the streaming service that has an exclusive deal with Golden Boy Promotions, will also carry the event.

Munguia’s past 12 fights were streamed by DAZN. The 27-year-old Mexican fighter has been co-promoted by Zanfer and Golden Boy.

“On May 4, I’ll be fighting Jaime Munguia at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas,” Alvarez posted on social media. “Mexico vs. Mexico!”

Munguia (43-0, 34 KOs) is coming off a career-best win, a ninth-round TKO of John Ryder in January. He has steadily improved under the guidance of Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach.

Now, Munguia will represent Alvarez’s first Mexican opponent since Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in 2017. Munguia is rated No. 4 by ESPN at 168 pounds.

Alvarez, ESPN’s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer, was lined up for a championship defense against Jermall Charlo in May. However, Alvarez and PBC couldn’t agree to terms for the matchup, which contractually allowed him to explore other options.

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) discussed a return to DAZN for bouts with Munguia and Edgar Berlanga this year, but when those talks stalled the champion returned to the table with PBC, sources said.

Alvarez plans to fight on Mexican Independence Day weekend in September as well.

Alvarez defeated Jermall’s twin brother, Jermell Charlo, via unanimous decision in September to retain his undisputed super middleweight championship as he kicked off the PBC partnership.

When the deal was signed in June, Jermall Charlo was lined up as the first opponent before he ultimately withdrew because of personal matters. Jermell stepped in, while Jermall and Errol Spence Jr. loomed as possibilities for the second and third bouts of the deal. That was before Spence was TKO’d by Terence Crawford in a one-sided beatdown in July, eliminating one viable opponent for Alvarez.

Then in November, Jermall failed to impress in a decision win against Jose Benavidez Jr. The bout was Charlo’s first in 29 months. It’s a big event any time Alvarez fights, but there was little commercial demand for a matchup with another Charlo after Jermell’s listless performance in September.

With an Alvarez-Charlo fight less appealing for May, the door opened for what promises to be a far more lucrative matchup with Munguia. Alvarez has been the sport’s top attraction since Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired in 2017.

The all-time great’s résumé includes a pair of wins over Gennadiy Golovkin and titles in four weight classes. His win over Charlo was preceded by a decision victory over Ryder in May in Mexico. Alvarez scored knockdowns in both fights.

The biggest potential fight out there for Alvarez remains a matchup against rising star David Benavidez.

“The reason why this fight is not happening is because Alvarez doesn’t want it to happen, plain and simple,” David Benavidez told ESPN last week.

PBC’s stable also includes star boxer Gervonta Davis, who is set to return vs. Frank Martin this summer. PBC’s first event with Prime Video will take place March 30 in Las Vegas, a pay-per-view headlined by Keith Thurman vs. Tim Tszyu.

Canelo Alvarez Named an Executive Producer on “The Long Game”

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Canelo Alvarez is embracing his artistic side…

The 33-year-old Mexican boxing great and entrepreneur will serve as an executive producer on the film, The Long Game, which earned the SXSW Narrative Spotlight Audience Award in 2023.

The feature, directed by Julio Quintana, opens in theaters nationwide on April 12.

The Long Game, inspired by the book Mustang Miracle written by Humberto G. Garcia, follows the true story of five young Mexican American caddies in 1955 who created their own golf course in the middle of the South Texas brush country. Despite outdated and inferior equipment and no professional instruction to begin with, they would go on to compete against wealthy, all-white teams and win the 1957 Texas State High School Golf Championship.

It stars Jay Hernandez, Dennis Quaid, Cheech Marin, Julian Works, Paulina Chavez, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Brett Cullen and Oscar Nuñez. Quintana penned the script alongside Jennifer C. Stetson and Paco Farias.

The Guadalajara-born boxing star is an avid golfer himself and has his golf apparel line “No Golf, No Life” collection.

“From the first time I saw The Long Game I was inspired to give whatever support was needed. I connected with The Long Game on so many levels and I am excited for the public to know more about true stories within the history of sports that haven’t been told.” Alvarez tells Deadline in a statement.

He added, “I’m proud to be part of a team that is sharing the story of five Mexican-Americans with determination, drive and passion to create their own journey. This film is an inspiration for the golf community and the world.”

Mucho Mas Media and Bonniedale Entertainment teamed up to release the film in theaters.

“We are thrilled to have Canelo come on board The Long Game and bring his insight, passion and voice to help get the word out about this powerful and inspirational movie. Not unlike the film, Canelo’s journey is symbolic of a true underdog story,” shared MMM Co-Founder Javier Chapa.

Canelo Alvarez Parts Ways with Premier Boxing Champions

Posted on February 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Canelo Alvarez has made an unexpected departure…

The 33-year-old Mexican professional boxer, one of the sport’s top stars, and Premier Boxing Champions have mutually agreed to part ways with two fights remaining on Alvarez’s three-fight deal signed in June, per ESPN.

Alvarez, ESPN’s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer, defeated Jermell Charlo via unanimous decision in September to retain his undisputed super middleweight championship. That was the first fight of Alvarez’s PBC partnership.

The pact called for Alvarez to fight Charlo’s twin brother, Jermall, on May 4.

However, Canelo and PBC couldn’t agree to terms for the matchup on Cinco de Mayo weekend sources said, which allowed Alvarez contractually to explore other options going forward.

The third fight of the deal was set to take place against a mutually-agreed-upon opponent, sources said.

An Alvarez-Jermall Charlo event would have struggled to generate the sort of business that Canelo is used to. After all, Jermell put up a listless performance vs. Alvarez and never threatened to win the fight, killing any brotherly revenge angle.

Jermall didn’t help himself, either. In November, he failed to impress against Jose Benavidez Jr., a natural welterweight. The bout was Jermall Charlo’s first in 29 months as he dealt with personal issues.

It’s a big event anytime Alvarez fights, but there’s little commercial demand for a matchup with another Charlo. Jermell Charlo also didn’t appear at his brother’s comeback bout as Jermall said the relationship was fractured.

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) will look for a new opponent and promotional partner for May 4 and beyond. Edgar Berlanga‘s manager, Keith Connolly, told ESPN on Sunday that he’s had preliminary talks with Eddie Hearn regarding a Canelo-Berlanga fight in 2024.

Connolly said Berlanga would be ready to fight Canelo as early as May 4 after last night’s sixth-round TKO win over Padraig McCrory in Orlando, Florida.

Another option for Alvarez is fellow Mexican Jaime Munguia, who scored a career-best win last month with a ninth-round stoppage of John Ryder. Alvarez could end up fighting Berlanga in May and Munguia in September.

There’s significant public demand for Alvarez, 33, to fight David Benavidez, who’s with PBC, or even Terence Crawford, but so far Canelo hasn’t shown interest. Regardless, his legacy is secure.

The all-time great’s résumé includes a pair of wins over Gennadiy Golovkin and titles in five weight classes.

His win over Charlo was preceded by a decision victory over Ryder in May in Mexico. Alvarez scored knockdowns in both fights.

PBC’s stable is led by star boxer Gervonta Davis, who is set to return vs. Frank Martin this summer. PBC’s first event with Amazon‘s Prime Video will take place March 30 in Las Vegas, a PPV headlined by rising star Tim Tszyu against Keith Thurman.

Crawford signed a one-fight deal with PBC to meet Errol Spence last July, and after “Bud” won the undisputed welterweight championship, Spence exercised the rematch clause.

However, Spence underwent cataract surgery in January and the scheduling window provided by the rematch clause has since expired, meaning Crawford, like Canelo, is also a network and promotional free agent.

Jaime Munguia to Fight John Ryder in a Super Middleweight Bout in January

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Munguia has secured his next opponent…

The 27-year-old Mexican professional boxer, who held the WBO junior middleweight title from 2018 to 2019, will meet John Ryder in a super middleweight bout on January 27 in Phoenix.

Munguia (42-0, 33 KOs), a native of Mexico, is coming off a career-best victory, a unanimous-decision win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko in June. Munguia scored a 12th-round knockdown to pull out the decision in a leading candidate for ESPN‘s Fight of the Year.

Now, Munguia will enter what shapes up as another slugfest.

England’s Ryder is coming off the biggest bout of his career, a spirited unanimous-decision loss to Canelo Alvarez in May.

Ryder (32-6, 18 KOs) was floored in Round 5 and suffered a broken nose against boxing’s top star but was able to land some effective blows down the stretch in Alvarez’s homecoming bout in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Munguia, ESPN‘s No. 6 boxer at 168 pounds, was a titleholder at 154 pounds and is hoping for his own crack at Alvarez next year.

Ryder, ESPN’s No. 4 super middleweight, defeated former champion Daniel Jacobs in 2022 in a career-best win.

David Benavidez Stops Demetrius Andrade

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

David Benavidez remains undefeated…

In another thrilling performance, the 26-year-old Mexican-American professional boxer defeated Demetrius Andrade when Andrade’s corner stopped the super middleweight bout after the sixth round on Saturday night at Mandalay Bay.

Immediately after, Benavidez was warmly greeted by boxing legend Mike Tyson.

“I just told Mike Tyson that I love him and thank you so much for the motivation he’s given me,” said Benavidez, ESPN‘s No. 2 boxer at 168 pounds. “It’s not every day a boxing legend like Mike Tyson gives people nicknames, so I just want to live up to my name.”

It’s Tyson who bestowed Benavidez with the moniker “The Mexican Monster,” and Benavidez more than lived up to it Saturday night.

Andrade, a former two-division champion, was boxing well until Benavidez floored him in the closing seconds of Round 4 with a right-handed haymaker.

Benavidez (28-0, 24 KOs) poured on the punishment the following round as he looked to finish off Andrade, who hung tough. Instead of trying to clinch, Andrade tried to fight his way out of the trouble.

Andrade (32-1, 19 KOs) was able to land some effective combinations in Round 6. He snapped Benavidez’s head back with an uppercut, but moments later, Andrade was the one spitting out blood. Soon after the bell rang to end the round, the fight was over too.

“I think the first shot I caught him with was when I dipped his left hand and came back with a right hand, and that made a point,” said Benavidez, who fights out of Seattle. “And I knew I had to keep putting the pressure on him because he wasn’t going to keep taking those shots.

“Everybody says I’m not this, I’m not that, I’m flat-footed, I have no defense. This guy probably applied one of the best defenses. He’s really good offensively. He could barely even hit me, so I think that says a lot on its own.

“For Canelo [Alvarez] and everybody else, it just shows I’m not f—ing around.”

Undoubtedly, that’s the biggest matchup out there for boxing’s top star. Benavidez wanted a statement to create more demand for a fight with Alvarez, and he more than accomplished that against one of boxing’s most avoided fighters.

Andrade, 35, who won his first title at 154 pounds, attempted to bully the bigger man early on and found success. He rehydrated to 190 pounds, according to Victor Conte, who oversaw his training and nutrition program.

When Andrade muscled Benavidez into the ropes, it was effective. He connected on right hands to the body and was able to stymie Benavidez from rolling downhill. Andrade even won the first two rounds on all three scorecards. But by the end of Round 3, Benavidez began to find his footing.

After he floored Andrade late in the fourth round, he stunned his foe again with a powerful left hook. Benavidez unloaded with combinations as he stalked his opponent, but Andrade showed serious grit by standing in the pocket and trading.

“I thought, overall, I did everything I needed to do to get the bigger man off me,” said Andrade, who made his 168-pound debut in January and somehow had never faced a current or former champion before Saturday. “David’s definitely a hell of a fighter. Nobody was even willing to get in the ring with him.”

Andrade added: “I have to go back to the drawing board and work on my body a little more. Then I’ll be right back at it.”

Benavidez, on the other hand, is just getting started. Coming off a career-best performance in March with a pain-inflicting unanimous-decision win over Caleb Plant, Benavidez topped that effort with this six-round beating of Andrade.

He is on the short list for fighter of the year honors, but Benavidez has far loftier goals.

Already, he is a two-time champion, belts he never lost inside the ring. First, he was stripped of his title for a positive cocaine test and then again for missing weight.

But that’s in the past. He is hitting his stride in the prime of his career, and his star is growing brighter with each effort.

Now, Benavidez needs the only matchup that matters in order for him to realize his dreams, and that’s a crack at an all-time great in Alvarez, by far the sport’s No. 1 attraction.

“I’m going to be the greatest of my generation by the time I’m done here,” Benavidez said. “I love getting hit and I love hitting back. … Welcome to the David Benavidez era.”

Canelo Alvarez Remains Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion with Trouncing of Jermell Charlo

Posted on October 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Canelo Alvarez has defended his undisputed super middleweight championship title once again.

The 33-year-old Mexican boxing superstar defeated Jermell Charlo on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in a lopsided unanimous-decision victory, leading to his third title defense.

Alvarez floored Charlo in Round 7 with an overhand right, the second knockdown of the challenger’s career, but there weren’t many more opportunities for a knockout.

Charlo wasn’t willing to engage and rarely threw a punch. He moved away from Alvarez’s power shots all night but never attempted to make him pay.

Two judges scored the fight 118-109, with the other tally 119-108.

“Nobody can compete with this Canelo,” said Alvarez, ESPN‘s No. 4 pound-for-pound boxer. “Two months in the mountains [training near Lake Tahoe] without my family. I still love boxing. I love boxing so f—ing much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today.”

Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) entered the ring the undisputed junior middleweight champion and had never competed above 154 pounds before. He was stripped of his WBO title once the fight started and said he would return to 154 pounds, where he still holds three titles. Australian star Tim Tszyu will defend the WBO belt October 14 against Brian Mendoza.

“I feel like it wasn’t me in there,” said Charlo, 33, who fights out of Houston. “I don’t make excuses. You win some, you lose some. I’m undisputed in my weight; I was daring to be great. I’m proud of myself. He didn’t knock me out; he knocked all the other guys out.”

It was clear by the way Charlo competed that he was looking to hear the final bell. Every time Alvarez closed the distance, Charlo slid over, but he wasn’t interested in engaging.

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) appeared frustrated as he looked for Charlo to open up and afford him some counterpunching opportunities. It never happened.

Instead, Alvarez piled up points on the scorecards by expertly cutting off the ring with effective aggression and clean body punching, the hallmarks of his legendary career.

Alvarez acknowledged in the lead-up to Saturday’s bout that he wasn’t at his best in his three most recent fights and vowed to return to top form. He did just that. His movement, conditioning and punching combinations all appeared to be peak Canelo, though Charlo never presented much adversity.

Alvarez’s last inside-the-distance win came in November 2021, when he scored an 11th-round TKO of Caleb Plant to capture the undisputed super middleweight championship.

He moved up to 175 pounds for a fight with Dmitry Bivol in May 2022 and suffered his first loss since 2013, when he was outpointed by Floyd Mayweather. Four months later, Alvarez returned to 168 pounds to conclude his trilogy with Gennadiy Golovkin with a victory but faded down the stretch.

Alvarez revealed afterward that he fought Bivol and Golovkin with a serious left wrist injury and underwent surgery in October. His first post-surgery competition came in May when he returned home to Mexico for a decision win over John Ryder.

Canelo broke Ryder’s nose and scored a knockdown but didn’t finish him in a grueling fight. Alvarez conceded this week that his hand wasn’t 100% then and that he was not fully confident in his lead weapon.

After the win over Charlo, he reaffirmed that he is back to form.

“Whoever,” Alvarez said when asked whom he would face when he returns for his next fight on Cinco De Mayo weekend. “I don’t f—ing care.”

This victory was the first of Alvarez’s three-fight deal with PBC, but it was originally slated to come against Charlo’s twin brother, Jermall, the WBC middleweight titleholder. Jermall Charlo didn’t proceed with the planned fight as he dealt with a personal matter, and Alvarez quickly accepted the smaller Charlo as the new opponent.

“They look the same,” Alvarez told ESPN on Wednesday. “Same size, same everything. I don’t really care which Charlo brother it is.”

Charlo called out undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford afterward and said he was also open to a fight against the winner of Tszyu-Mendoza. Charlo was set to fight Tszyu in January before he broke his left hand in two places.

Saturday’s fight was Charlo’s first since May 2022, when he scored a 10th-round knockout of Brian Castano in a rematch to win the undisputed junior middleweight championship.

Alvarez, meanwhile, remains the face of boxing and proved without a doubt that he is still on top, quieting the critics who said he was on the decline at age 33 after more than 60 fights.

Teofimo Lopez Jr.’s Team Requesting “Super Champion’ Designation from WBO

Posted on September 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Teofimo Lopez Jr. is hoping for a super decision…

Top Rank sent an official request to the WBO with hopes of naming the 26-year-old Honduran American junior welterweight champion as the organization’s “super champion,” a designation that provides the fighter with special privileges under the WBO guidelines.

“As you are aware Teofimo most recently defeated then WBO world champion Josh Taylor at MSG on June 10,” the letter from Top Rank’s vice president of boxing operations, Carl Moretti, sent to the WBO reads. “His performance has received accolades throughout the boxing community as well as a nomination for “Performance of the Year“.

“It should also be noted that Taylor is a former undisputed unified 140-pound world champion never losing any of his titles inside the ring when he fought Teofimo.”

Top Rank also noted that “The magnitude of Teofimo’s accomplishments” are enough to grant him the “super champion” status.

Lopez (19-1, 13 KOs), a 2-1 underdog at the time, handed Taylor his first defeat in June with a dominating unanimous decision victory at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. With the win, Lopez became a two-division champion at just 25 years old, lending merit to Top Rank’s request.

Fernando Gaztambide, WBO press officer, told ESPN that “super champion” designation is a status granted “to those fighters whose professional merits and accomplishments satisfy the criteria set forth in the relevant provision.”

Gaztambide also noted that it is not a title, but rather a status which grants the recipient certain rights considering his accomplishments.

“As a super champion a fighter gets certain privileges, like being named mandatory challenger for a champion in higher or lower divisions, lifetime membership with the WBO, extended time to make mandatory title defenses and other things,” WBO president Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel told ESPN.

The decision will be made this week, according to Valcarcel, and depends on Lopez meeting the required qualifications.

“We have rules and criteria the fighter should meet. If the five-member championship committee approves the request, it will need to be approved by the 23-member executive committee by majority,” Valcarcel explained.

Some of the WBO criteria includes that the fighter has a “multiple bout contract with a major television [company].” It also states that the fighter requesting the “super champion” designation had a minimum of 10 title defenses or if less than 10, the fighter has defended the belt against “opponents of high recognition and high skills.”

Other provisions are that the fighter has been a champion in more than one division or has held more than one championship from the other major organizations (WBC, WBA, IBF), or has been a unified champion, among others. Lopez checks all those boxes, having been a former WBO lightweight champion and a unified champion.

Currently, the WBO has five “super champions”, heavyweight Oleksandr Usyk, super middleweight Canelo Alvarez, junior middleweight Jermell Charlo, welterweight Terence Crawford, and lightweight Devin Haney.

David Benavidez Finalizing Deal for Super Middleweight Bout vs. Demetrius Andrade

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

David Benavidez is thisclose to heading back to the ring…

The 26-year-old Mexican-Ecuadorian-Dominican American professional boxer, a two-time WBC super middleweight champion, is finalizing a deal to fight Demetrius Andrade in a super middleweight bout this fall in Las Vegas.

The battle of former champions will be a pay-per-view event, according to ESPN sources.

Benavidez (27-0, 23 KOs) scored a career-best win in March, a unanimous-decision victory over Caleb Plant. Fighting out of Seattle, he’s ESPN‘s No. 2 super middleweight after undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez.

Benavidez lost his belt outside the ring on both occasions (positive test for cocaine before he later missed weight).

The volume puncher, known as “The Mexican Monster,” is hoping for a showdown with Alvarez next year. But first, Benavidez will face a slick boxer for the second consecutive fight when he meets Andrade.

A former champion at 154 and 160 pounds, Andrade (32-0, 19 KOs) will finally land the big fight he’s sought at age 35. Long avoided for his defensive prowess and boxing skills, Andrade moved up to 168 pounds in January with a shutout decision win over journeyman Demond Nicholson.

Andrade, a Providence, R.I., native, has never faced an elite opponent. He’ll step up in class when he meets Benavidez in a matchup that could propel the winner to a showdown with Alvarez.

Andrade is ESPN’s No. 8 super middleweight.

Canelo Alvarez to Fight Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas This September

Posted on July 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Canelo Alvarez has lined up his next opponent, but it’s not the person most expected it to be.

The 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer, the sport’s top star at the moment, has announced on social media that he’ll fight Jermell Charlo rather than his twin brother, Jermall, on September 30 in Las Vegas, the first meeting of undisputed champions in the four-belt era.

Alvarez holds all four super middleweight titles while Charlo owns all four belts at 154 pounds. The bout, which is expected to be a Showtime PPV event, will be contested at 168 pounds for Alvarez’s undisputed championship, per ESPN sources.

Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) was lined up for a fight with Jermall Charlo, the WBC champion at 160 pounds, after he met with PBC founder Al Haymon in the Cleveland area earlier in June.

But earlier this week, Alvarez’s team was informed that Jermall wouldn’t be available to fight in September, sources said. The sides pivoted to Jermell, who sits just outside ESPN’s pound-for-pound list but has never competed above 154 pounds, and the matchup was finalized on Friday, sources said.

ESPN Deportes reported earlier Friday that Jermall needed more time to get in shape because he has not fought since June 2021, when he scored a unanimous decision win over Juan Macias Montiel. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said last month that Jermall’s inactivity is due to mental health.

Alvarez, a future Hall of Famer from Mexico, struck a three-fight deal with PBC earlier in June, with the other two fights expected to take place on Cinco De Mayo Weekend and Mexican Independence Day Weekend in 2024, sources said.

Alvarez’s preferred September 16 date wasn’t available in Las Vegas due to a UFC event on the same night at T-Mobile Arena.

Canelo is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over John Ryder in May in a Mexico homecoming in Guadalajara. The win was Alvarez’s first fight since he underwent left wrist surgery in October.

In May 2022, Canelo moved up to light heavyweight but was routed by Dmitry Bivol in his first loss since he faced Floyd Mayweather in 2013. He returned in September to defeat his rival, Gennaidy Golovkin, in a trilogy fight.

Alvarez is ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer and has captured titles in four weight classes.

Last month, Alvarez was No. 5 on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes list at estimated earnings of $110 million in 2022.

Jermall Charlo was one of two finalists for the Alvarez bout when Canelo ultimately selected Bivol last May. He could land his shot next May if Alvarez defeats his brother.

Jermell Charlo, a 33-year-old who fights out of the Houston area, captured the undisputed 154-pound championship last May when he knocked out Brian Castano in the 10th round of a rematch. The two fighters had previously battled to a highly controversial draw in July 2021 after Castano appeared to do enough to earn the decision.

The only defeat of Jermell’s career came in December 2018, a disputed decision loss to Tony Harrison. Jermell (35-1-1, 19 KOs) also avenged that blemish on his record, scoring an 11th-round knockout of Harrson one year later.

Jermell was set to defend his four titles against Tim Tszyu, the son of Hall of Famer Kostya Tszyu, in January before he suffered a broken left hand.

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