It may have been a brief sojourn. However, until Naoya Inoue joined him, Canelo Alvarez lorded over the exclusive, undisputed club as the year 2023 neared its conclusion. Initially, Terence Crawford and Jermell Charlo did give him company, but the journey didn’t last too long.
But it doesn’t mean the throne he ascended two years ago would remain unchallenged. The super middleweight champion defended his undisputed title twice last year. Quite likely, he might emulate the accomplishment in the new year as well. For all the reports available, he might enter the ring first in May and perhaps later in September. However, the burning question in everyone’s mind revolves around the formidable opponents he is destined to face. It doesn’t seem to have received an official endorsement. Nevertheless, as it appears, a name has apparently jumped ahead of others in the race to face Canelo Alvarez during the Cinco de Mayo weekend.
‘The Future of Boxing’ with Canelo Alvarez
In a morning post, Boxing Kingdom tweeted information received through other sources. It indicates that in May, Canelo Alvarez might square up against Jermall Charlo. The channel said, “Canelo will fight Jermall Charlo in May, according to reports.” Miami-based freelance writer and editor Bernardo Pilatti, through his channel ‘Bernardo Pilatti Official’, seems to have a similar update.
The eight-minute-long footage is titled, “100% Confirmado! Jermall Charlo será el rival de Canelo Alvarez en mayo.” It roughly translated to – 100% Confirmed! Jermall Charlo will be Canelo Alvarez’s rival in May. However, it should be noted that the video is entirely in Spanish; therefore, the English translation of the transcript cannot be fully verified or substantiated per se. Hence, it is left for viewers to exercise better discretion
Early in December, fans might remember reports from ESPN’s Latin American version, ESPN Knockout, that Canelo Alvarez would finally face long-time caller David Benavidez in September. However, for May, three names appeared: Jaime Munguia, Terence Crawford, and Jermall Charlo.
As it stands, Munguia will be facing John Ryder, whom Alvarez defeated last year, next week in Arizona. As far as Crawford is concerned, as exciting and intriguing as it sounds, doubts remain over the welterweight champion climbing three divisions up to meet the Mexican champion. Thus, it leaves Jermall Charlo.
The ‘Hitman’s name interestingly came up first as Canelo Alvarez prepped himself for the September 30 title defense. However, it was the middleweight champion’s twin brother who eventually fought Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena. Jermall Charlo thus had to wait for another two months before marking his entry after a non-activity of over two years. He fought and defeated Jose Benavidez Jr. on the David Benavidez-Demetrius Andrade undercard on November 25.
Already, there were talks of him avenging his brother’s loss to Canelo Alvarez. Now connecting the dots, a fight between the two appears quite tangible. The Mexican icon had signed up for a $100 million, three-fight deal with Al Haymon‘s PBC. The bout with Jermell Charlo was the first installment of the series. That leaves two more. Hence, fans would undoubtedly expect him to exercise full discretion in terms of the opponents he goes against, both in terms of the payday and the legacy.
