Undisputed super-middleweight world champion, Canelo Alvarez, has begun his press tour for his upcoming battle of the undisputed champions as he prepares to take on current undisputed super-welterweight world champion Jermell Charlo on September 30th.
The encounter at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, will come almost two months after Terence Crawford produced one of his finest career performances with a destructive yet clinical beatdown of Errol Spence Jr in the same venue. Crawford would capture the IBF, WBC & WBA world welterweight titles to join his WBO strap and become the undisputed world welterweight champion.
In doing so, Crawford became the first male fighter to hold the undisputed world title in two-weight classes following his previous success in the super-lightweight division and ultimately conquering the division to hold all four world title belts.
As what happens after a significant fight, people begin to play fantasy matchmakers in what fights they would like to see the victor participate in next. Crawford has been no exception, with people wishing to see the welterweight king face the likes of Gervonta Davis, Jermell Charlo (who faces Canelo) and even Canelo Alvarez.
Canelo responded to the suggestion if he would be willing to explore opportunities to face Crawford with a flatline rejection of the possibility when speaking to the Daily Mail.
Crawford spoke recently after the contest with Spence Jr that he would be open to face Canelo, but the fight would have to take place at a catchweight for him to even consider fighting Canelo.
"We can do something at a catchweight. Probably like 160 or 158 lbs. That would be cool.”
However, Canelo says his refusal of any contest with Crawford is due to him not being able to make weight lower than the super-middleweight limit of 168lbs and reiterated to the world of Crawford that if he was to beat Crawford, he would not get the credit, he may well deserve due to the size discrepancy between the pair.
“He's a great fighter, he deserves to be in the (pound-for-pound) top two… (but) it's hard for me to make other weights,' the Mexican said.
“Like he said, if he beat Gervonta Davis, nobody is going to appreciate that. They're going to say: 'Too small, too small.' And I think it's the same position for me.”
Furthermore, Canelo continued to add that his future may lie away from the 168lb division and eluded that he likes challenges that may see the 33-year-old return to light-heavyweight or even surpass that weight category and compete at cruiserweight.
“We never know. I like challenges,”he said. “We never know.”
Canelo must, however, progress past Charlo before any of these possibilities can be explored as the pair came head-to-head in New York on Tuesday. Concluding, Canelo believes that his upcoming fight with Charlo is a great fight for the fans, and ultimately, he is enjoying what he is doing regarding his boxing and making history.
“It's a good fight, it's been talked about since a long time ago, and now I'm in PBC (Premier Boxing Champions) I think it's a good fight for the fans.
He added: “I just like fighting, I like boxing, and I like what I'm doing right now – making history.”
