While the Canelo sweepstakes feel like they’ve been going on forever in boxing, fans often tire of the rumors about the Mexican’s next opponent, but amongst the drama we do get some pleasant surprises along the way. Today fans were greeted with just that when it was reported the Canelo Alvarez is back at the negotiation table with Al Haymon’s PBC promotion and that a May 4 all Mexican, super-middleweight undisputed world championship bout with Jaime Munguia is what is likely on the cards next.
It now makes a lot more sense that Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia’s upcoming light-welterweight world championship bout is taking place in Brooklyn, New York instead of Las Vegas, despite the fact that both men are west-coast fighters. Oscar De La Hoya is head of Golden Boy Promotions and promoter of both Garcia and Munguia and he will have been deeply involved in the Canelo-Munguia negotiations and given the magnitude of an all-Mexican blockbuster on Cinco De Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, he will have wisely predicted that the local fan base wouldn’t have the budget for two such massive events so close in date to one another.
It is being reported that the Canelo vs Munguia bout will be broadcast on both the Amazon Prime and DAZN streaming platforms, broadcasting partners of PBC and Golden Boy Promotions respectively. If these rumors are true, it is then likely that plan is for Canelo to see out his three fight deal with PBC and this would count as the first fight in that contract. Looking at the rest of the PBC stable, the obvious choice that fans want to see next is David Benavidez, and despite people clamoring for Canelo to forgo Munguia and fight Benavidez next, they would certainly be appeased if that fight was more or less promised after the Munguia bout. Those two men make up the natural opponents on Canelo’s PBC contract but that leaves him searching for one more dance partner to complete the deal. This is where fans get nervous and are faced with the prospect of Canelo punctuating his Munguia and Benavidez fights with a Jermall Charlo defense. Canelo has already routinely defeated brother Jermell Charlo in a dull encounter, and the bigger of the twins has been too inactive to suggest he’d offer fans any more value for money against the Mexican. It’s too early to look three fights down the line in any case for Canelo Alvarez. Only one day ago the world thought he was a Matchroom fighter again, but seemingly instead he’s planning a massive Cinco De Mayo Fiesta with Al Haymon.
Written by Eoin Kennedy, March 6th 2024.