Canelo Alvarez could be forced to fight in England next, but why?
The Mexican superstar could face Chris Eubank Jr. on September 14, but instead of Las Vegas, both men could meet on English soil.
Saul Alvarez hasn’t decided who he will fight in September yet, while several boxers are raising their hands to let him know about their interest. The last names on the list are the American with Puerto Rican roots Edgar Berlanga and the Brit Chris Eubank Jr., who has quickly become the favorite.
Eubank Jr., 34, defeated Liam Smith by technical knockout last September; and a clash between both men seems a very possible option. Alvarez would be a massive favorite to emerge victorious against Eubank Jr., who despite his quality hasn’t made a big impact at a world level.
Canelo likes to fight in May and the second half of the year, and while this time he chose to return to the ring in September, it seems unlikely that his fans will see him fight at the iconic Las Vegas. Instead, England could be the scenario for the undisputed super middleweight’s next fight.
Why would Canelo Alvarez’s next fight take place in England?
Boxing analysts Paulie Malignaggi and Teddy Atlas pointed out on ProBox TV that Canelo could choose the Briton as his next opponent since he is attracted to having his first fight in England and changing Las Vegas for another of the boxing capitals.
“England would love to have a Canelo Alvarez [fight]. Those boxing fans are the best in the world. They’d be rooting for Eubank, but, obviously, they’d be privileged and in awe to have one of boxing’s stars to choose their venue to fight at”, Malignaggi said.
However, besides England would be an attractive idea for Canelo, there’s a bigger reason for the boxer to fly away from Las Vegas.
The UFC has the so-called UFC 306 event marked on the calendar for September 14, a mega card that could include a Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler main fight at The Sphere in Vegas, so Alvarez wouldn’t be interested in competing against the world’s biggest MMA company in prime time.