Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez To Fight In December; Who Will Be His Opponent?

Canelo Álvarez announced that he is returning to the ring in December, not November as many had thought. As of right now, Canelo’s camp and Golden Boy Promotions are still selecting a date and an opponent for the December bout.

Many believed that Alvarez’s next fight would be a much anticipated mega fight against Miguel Cotto however with the announcement that Alvarez’s fight has now moved to December, more than likely his team is passing on Cotto this time around. Cotto is contracted to fight on Dec. 13, and Canelo’s camp has said they would prefer to fight the week before or the week after the Cotto fight. With Cotto off the table, if both fighters can win in December, they will be on a direct path to face each other in what is assured to be a fight for the ages next May.

Canelo’s contract with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas expired after his last fight, a controversial decision over Cuban fighter, Erislandy Lara, and according to those close to Canelo’s camp, his fight in December will either be at Staples Center in Los Angeles, or in San Antonio. The fact that his team mentioned San Antonio leads me to believe that his next opponent could be Texas native, James Kirkland. Kirkland has not fought in over a year, and if he is indeed named the opponent in the Alvarez fight at the end of the year, it would be a very long layoff to say the least.

It’s no surprise that Kirkland has wanted to fight Alvarez ever since he had to cancel a fight with the Mexican champion back in 2012. Since that time, Kirkland has had difficulties with management and various promoters, but he is reportedly working with Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and his promotion company now.Thus far, all signs point to 50 Cent and Oscar De La Hoya bering able to make the fight happen.

If the Alvarez vs. Kirkland fight happens, it’s bad news for Erislandy Lara who is also planning on returning to the ring in December and has made it no secret that he too wants to fight Kirkland. The Cuban southpaw believes that Kirkland is the most attractive fighter available but If Canelo’s camp books the fight with Kirkland first, Lara will most likely have to settle for Ishe Smith or Vanes Martirosyan.

Kirkland is a hard punching right hander who would most certainly sign up to fight Canelo if it means the fight could take place in San Antonio as I expect. San Antonio is very close to the Mexican border and a hot spot for wealthy Mexicans who make up a large contingent of Canelo’s following. The fight sounds like a win-win for everyone involved: there will be plenty of fans in attendance for both fighters, it’s sure to big an attractive draw for PPV, and if all goes to plan, it will add another notch to Canelo’s belt before facing Cotto next year.