Oleksandr Usyk is open to facing Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez next at cruiserweight - but only if he can keep his heavyweight world titles. Midway through the first bout between Usyk and Joshua in September, it became clear that AJ-Fury was no longer the biggest fight in boxing. Canelo does not have a contract with DAZN anymore, but if they make the biggest offer, will Plant and PBC be willing to work with them on the fight? The judges aren’t going to give Plant the decision if he spends the entire second half of the contest on his bike. Parker, of New Zealand, looked a bit flat his last time out in a decision victory against Junior Fa back in February, and has a lot to prove against the veteran Chisora, who is rarely in a dull fight. The news came as somewhat of a shock to the boxing world, with many assuming Canelo would move back up to light heavyweight to fight either of the world champions in Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol, or if the 31-year-old would defend his belt at 168lbs against David Benavidez.
He got the big fight he’s longed for and came up short. He has changed promoters repeatedly, changed trainers repeatedly; I’m not trying to kick a man when he’s down, this is just his history. A man accused Billy Joe Saunders of stabbing his son after a street fight, but Saunders denies it. The red-haired Mexican superstar added another highlight to a 15-year career already full of them, wresting the WBO super middleweight belt from a previously unbeaten Billy Joe Saunders atop a pay-per-view event before 73,126 fans at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. It was also the site of Alvarez’s lone career defeat, a twelve-round points loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their September 2013 superfight that set the record at the time for the highest grossing Pay-Per-View event in boxing history. Zhilei Zhang and Scott Alexander are set for a heavyweight clash after Filip Hrgovic was forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against Zhang. Canelo Alvarez's next opponent will be British fighter Rocky Fielding, as the pair are set to square off at super middleweight on December 15 at Madison Square Garden. Unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is waiting for his next opponent pending the winner of an upcoming rematch.
The undisputed super middleweight king will move up to 175 pounds and challenge WBA champion Dmitry Bivol on May 7, according to ESPN's Mike Coppinger and Boxing Scene's Keith Idec. On that note, don’t completely forget about WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol, who just fought on May 1, is with Matchroom, and has repeatedly expressed his willingness to move down to super middleweight for a Canelo fight. Now 30, he's also held belts at 154, 160 and 175 pounds and has said recently that his goal is to become the first undisputed champion in super middleweight history. But in traditional Canelo style, neither simple option was taken and now he vows to go one step further in his fantastic career to cement his name in boxing folklore as one of the greatest fighters to have ever lived. Standing in his way of another title is the 31-year-old Russian, who with 19 straight wins is yet to taste defeat during his professional career. Another way to get the benefits of grass without the cellulose is to make a tea from grass. Canelo stated clearly that that’s his plan as far as what’s next, and promoter Eddie Hearn - though his deal with Canelo just ended, they could keep working together, the results have been pretty good - said it’s the “only” fight to make.
For the most part it appears to be working as security had to separate the pair after a heated altercation during a press conference in Los Angeles. Maybe he decides he’s had his time and he wants to spend more time with his family. Heavyweight Frank Sanchez should probably fight someone better than a long-faded Nagy Aguilera next if he wants to be taken seriously right now as a heavyweight contender, but in all reality that might be more for the TV commentators and hype men promoters. Not surprisingly, given that he arrived to the ring as a 1-7 favorite, it also opens the door to even more combative windfalls for Alvarez. He’s not going to get a title shot in the immediate or even particularly near future, anyway. I know he is going to win that fight. Meaty story line: The fight was originally scheduled for May but postponed after Alvarez tested positive for clenbuterol, which he blamed on eating tainted meat in Mexico. Alvarez then signed a two-fight deal with Hearn for bouts against Avni Yildirim and Billy Joe Saunders, the last of which took place in May.