Mexican boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez has announced his return to Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) for his next fight in September, as revealed in a video on his Instagram. While his opponent has not been confirmed, Jermall Charlo is considered the favorite to challenge him for his IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO 168-pound titles. Alvarez and his team have reportedly met with Al Haymon to discuss the potential fight against Charlo, the undefeated WBC middleweight champion.
Charlo hasn’t entered the ring in two years, but he’s shown eagerness to go head-to-head with Alvarez , even considering a move from the middleweight limit of 160 pounds to the super middleweight maximum of 168 pounds for the opportunity. The fight is expected to headline a Showtime Pay-Per-View event and might be scheduled for September 16. This bout will initiate Alvarez’s multi-fight agreement with Haymon’s PBC.
David Benavidez, another PBC fighter, has expressed a keen interest in challenging Alvarez, making him a potential opponent for the Mexican in the 168-pound division. Despite Alvarez's positive experience with PBC and Showtime in his match against former IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant, he returned to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing and DAZN for his subsequent three fights due to a one-fight contract with PBC.
In addition to Charlo, other possible contenders for Alvarez are Dmitry Bivol and Badou Jack. However, according to Vadim Kornilov, Bivol’s manager, Alvarez’s team hasn’t offered sufficient money to coax Bivol into a rematch. Meanwhile, Jack has excluded himself from consideration as he alleges Alvarez wanted to fight for Jack’s WBC cruiserweight title at a catch weight of 180 pounds, significantly lower than the cruiserweight division limit.
Image Credit: DAZN