Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is spoiled for choice on who he could face next, with Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford and David Benavidez both representing viable options.
However, it seems as though neither fighter has piqued the Mexican’s interest, as the 34-year-old continues to distance himself from any discussions surrounding the possible matchups.
In fact, following his dominant performance against Edgar Berlanga to retain his super middleweight titles, Canelo Alvarez has remained particularly silent on what his next move will be.
But now, former world title challenger Chris Eubank Jr has emerged as a potential option, hoping to lure the pound-for-pound star into a blockbuster showdown.
Ben Shalom believes that Canelo Alvarez will fight Chris Eubank Jr next year
Eubank Jr will end his year-long layoff when he takes on Kamil Szeremeta on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol this Saturday.
The Brit has already come back with a bang, though, after he shockingly slammed promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren at his latest press conference.
Nevertheless, Boxxer boss Ben Shalom, Eubank Jr’s promoter, remains convinced that the 35-year-old will be next in line to take on Canelo.
“Canelo’s top of the list,” Shalom told boxing journalist Manouk Akopyan. “That’s the fight that sells out Wembley Stadium in the UK, against Chris Eubank Jr.
“Chris is ready for that fight, and hopefully it’ll happen next year. [Eubank Jr] brings his own audience, and that’s very rare for Canelo’s opponents.
“Canelo of course is the A-side but Chris Eubank Jr is a pay-per-view star in his own right – probably the only one in British boxing outside the heavyweight division.
“It was very close to happening in September, [so] hopefully it can happen in May. I genuinely believe the fight will happen next year.”
Terence Crawford, David Benavidez and Dmitry Bivol are all potential opponents for Canelo Alvarez
While Eubank Jr could entice Canelo into a matchup at a sold-out Wembley Stadium, the fight itself does not necessarily represent the pound-for-pound star’s most lucrative option.
Rather, a dustup with two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford still holds a great deal of weight, as does a potential all-Mexican war with Benavidez.
And yet, the only opponent that Alvarez has actively expressed an interest in is Dmitry Bivol, despite losing to the light heavyweight world champion back in 2022.
So perhaps, if Bivol were to beat Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed crown at 175 lbs, then a rematch with Canelo could be the ideal option for him too.