WBC, WBA (Super) and WBO super-middleweight champion of the world Canelo Alvarez might not be facing IBF titleholder Caleb Plant for the undisputed championship in September and can opt to move to light heavyweight, Matchroom MD Eddie Hearn has hinted.
A four-belt title fight to crown the undisputed champion at 168 between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant was speculated to become the last step for the number one pound for pound boxer’s destiny to the history books as the first undisputed super-middleweight champion from Mexico.
Coming off of two back to back dominating performances against Avni Yildirim and Billy Joe Saunders, Canelo is already the favourite to win the fight. Plant, on the other hand, is looking forward to the toughest challenge of his career, and also, a once in a lifetime opportunity to grasp the super-middleweight crown.
However, the undefeated American’s fight purse demands have already been putting a massive question mark for the fight. Last month, Plant revealed that he is looking forward to pocket north of $10 million from the fight, which is highly unlikely to get a nod from Canelo.
Canelo Alvarez wants to “keep the momentum”, says Hearn
With the Plant fight getting into uncertain territory, Matchroom MD Eddie Hearn has recently hinted that Canelo might move to light heavyweight in September and square off against division elites Artur Beterbiev or Dimitry Bivol.
”There’s conversations to be had over the next sort of three, four, or five days, and it needs to gather pace. I don’t think there’s anything negative to say about it,” speaking to DAZN Boxing Show, Hearn lamented that Canelo vs Plant is reaching no legitimacy anymore.
Although Hearn claimed that the 168 undisputed crown is in Canelo’s desires, the Plant fight getting postponed will mean he moves on to other options to keep his brilliant run in motion, and that is, returning to 175.
“This is clearly the fight Canelo Alvarez wants. He wants to become undisputed champion. But at the same time, September is his date, you know, and if the Plant fight’s not available now and has to be made in December or whatever, I think Canelo’s mindset is: ‘I want to keep the momentum that I have right now.’
“Clearly, a move up to 175, for now, is also on the agenda if that undisputed fight can’t get made,” the British promoter added.
Canelo made his light heavyweight debut back in November 2019, defeating former WBO titleholder Sergey Kovalev. Although he himself stated in the past that he would remain at 168 as the undisputed champion, no Plant faceoff would mean the Mexican can challenge Beterbiev, the undefeated unified champion at 175, or WBA titleholder Bivol.
