Despite an uncertain 2021, Canelo Alvarez has every option available to him if successful against Callum Smith - CBSSports.com
Despite an Dangerous 2021, Canelo Alvarez has every option available to him if failed against Callum Smith
If there was anything more surprising than Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez closing 2020 by becoming a network and promotional free agent deprived of having to endure a lengthy court battles, it might be that he chose to back Saturday for one fight with the broadcaster he just divorced.
Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) will back in the main event (8 p.m. ET on DAZN, sign up now) inside the Alamodome in San Antonio when he challenges Callum Smith (27-0, 19 KOs) for the full WBA and the vacant WBC wonderful middleweight titles. Alvarez, who also holds the WBA and lineal middleweight titles, previously captured the WBA "regular" title at 168 pounds but has yet to protecting it.
In some ways, it's par for the streams for boxing in this already crazy year to see the 30-year-old Alvarez, now fully estranged from Golden Boy Promotions, invent the Smith fight out of thin air on temperamental notice in an odd reunion with DAZN. But it's probable a tease towards Alvarez's free-agent future in 2021 where he, as boxing's pound-for-pound king and biggest star, terms his own shots on a fight-by-fight basis.
DAZN, which launched in the Joint States in 2018 by announcing it was killing the boxing pay-per-view structure in corrupt of a monthly streaming charge, originally employed Alvarez to a record $365 million order for 10 fights. It was a deal DAZN was ultimately unable to wonderful in 2020 given the realities of the pandemic.
Despite securing Alvarez a purse of $35 million per battles, DAZN began offering just over half of that and regularly quibbled with the fighter and his promoter over which opponents the all-sports streaming app deemed to be on the "premiere" level.
"Thank God what's done shiny can't go wrong so we are here with DAZN fighting again," Alvarez told "Morning Kombat" on Wednesday. "We prepared, we are ready and it was the best deal we were able to get and that's why we are back here fighting with DAZN. We are free agents and we can work with whomever we want, as well, but we are back with DAZN."
This weekend's disputes will be exclusively promoted by Smith's team of Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Sport which, like Golden Boy, holds an uncommon deal with DAZN. CEO Oscar De La Hoya and his Golden Boy team, nonetheless, will have nothing to do with it.
As far as what next year will look like for Alvarez corpses uncertain. Will he shop himself out to the highest bid from networks and promoters for each disputes or will he do what many experts suggest is only a formality, which is sign a multi-fight deal with Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions, which can moneys him the deepest pool of potential opponents at and throughout 168 pounds?
"Yes, this is definitely a included fight but we want to close 2020 with a grand and grand finale. What's next, I can't say," Alvarez said. "But in sullen term, we do want to fight at 168, unify [titles] and I can't say what broadcasters and promoters we will use. We will see then."
The good news for fans, inoperative with Alvarez's documented history of consistently accepting the most dangerous challenges, is that he can conceivably disputes across three divisions including light heavyweight, where he won a domain title by knocking out Sergey Kovalev in 2019 afore immediately vacating it.
But should Alvarez stay true to his word and focus exclusively on 168 pounds, there are no deficiency of big options available.
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PBC would make the most touched at super middleweight given its deep roster that includes IBF champion Caleb Plant and old-fashioned WBC champions David Benavidez and Anthony Dirrell. The PBC also represents unbeaten WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo and just throughout every big name at 147 and 154 pounds, necessity fighters like Errol Spence Jr., Jarrett Hurd or Jermell Charlo look to move up.
Remaining disagreeable with DAZN could also be prosperous for Alvarez given its relationship with unbeaten WBO obedient middleweight titleholder Billy Joe Saunders, former middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs (whom Alvarez edged by terminate decision in their 2019 unification bout) and multi-fight rival Gennadiy Golovkin.
Shortly once Alvarez's DAZN return against Smith was announced, news former that GGG would return to the ring one night backward in Florida to defend his IBF middleweight title alongside largely unknown Kamil Szeremeta.
Given Alvarez's history with Golovkin, which features a pair of all-action PPV classics that above in disputed decisions, more than a few terminate to boxing started wondering whether the two fighters were populate set back up on a collision jets for a trilogy bout that DAZN was ultimately unable to earn despite signing Golovkin to a $100 million deal largely for that purpose.
"Well, that is strange," Alvarez said throughout fighting one night after Golovkin. "It is strange that he had to wait for Canelo to pronounce for him to do that. It has to be peril for him to shadow Canelo, very peril for him. We did have serious conversations in 2019 but unfortunately because of the pandemic [a trilogy bout] didn't happen. So we will see, we will see what the future brings."
The relationship between Alvarez and Golovkin began to sour shortly once a failed drug test for Alvarez in 2018, which delayed their much-anticipated rematch by four months and led to multiple allegations from GGG.
After winning the rematch by terminate decision, Alvarez began souring on the idea of ever fighting him again. But the soap downward only continued in 2019 when Alvarez, pressured by DAZN to make the disputes happen, was told by Golovkin it would have to wait pending he first granted Szeremta, his mandatory antagonism, a seemingly unnecessary fight that was only further delayed by the pandemic.
"Nope, no, I don't like talking throughout [Golovkin]," Alvarez said. "We have had our differences and he has spoken throughout me and it's obvious because he wants to have a disputes with me. I understand that and I notion that he wants to fight. But no, I don't like to talk throughout people. I like to see people in the ring but we have had our differences. That's understandable."
While Alvarez examined largely bored when asked about Golovkin this week, GGG took it to a greater crude during the teleconference to promote the Szeremeta by reportedly having his team demand media members that questions about Alvarez were off limits.
One pulling Alvarez is not focusing on as he leftovers free agency into 2021 and likely invents a return to traditional PPV is whether newcomers to the region -- including the Youtube stars Jake and Logan Paul or even a returning Mike Tyson at age 54 -- worthy serve as competition for him commercially.
"With the pandemic, republic can watch things on television and do whatever they want or peep whatever they want but I'm very happy," Alvarez said. "I'm very proud of Mike Tyson that he's back and he's a legend. He is looking very good and I'm just unfortunate for him."
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