Canelo Alvarez

The WBC's board of governors voted 36-1 in favor of ordering Canelo Alvarez to fight Avni Yildirim the super middleweight title.

David Benavidez was forced to vacate the belt ahead of his matchup last Saturday with Roamer Alexis Angulo when he was 2.8 pounds over the 168-pound weight limit during the weigh-in.

Yildirim would've been the mandatory challenger for Benavidez if he had successfully defended the title. Now, Alvarez is getting the nod thanks in part to his status as the WBC's "franchise champion" at middleweight.

The organization handed him the honor in June 2019, which is reserved for a WBC world champion "who is also an elite boxer and who has achieved and maintains the highest of statures in the sport."

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a very attractive fight for Alvarez.

Yildirim hasn't stepped in the ring since his defeat to Anthony Dirrell by technical decision in February 2019. The Turkey native is only three fights removed from a win over Jose Antonio Rodriguez Silvencia, who entered with a record of 3-31-3.

Alvarez needs to shake off some rust himself, though, having not fought since knocking out Sergey Kovalev last November. His proposed encounter with Billy Joe Saunders was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Saunders told The Athletic's Mike Coppinger he didn't want to commit to a September date.

Opposing Yildirim could be a bit of a tuneup for Canelo ahead of a bigger payday, with Gennady Golovkin the most obvious candidate.

More than 11 years after retiring from in-ring competition, Oscar De La Hoya is training his body for the possibility of having another match. 

Appearing on the SI Boxing Podcast with Chris Mannix, De La Hoya explained the process of putting himself through the daily training rigor in order to compete again:

"I think it's just a matter of pulling the trigger of making that decision to go to the gym, to wake up in the morning, to make the sacrifice. Before I wanted to do it, but I just couldn't do it. I couldn't pull the trigger. I couldn't wake up in the morning. I couldn't take myself to the gym and spar six rounds. Now it's like I have this motivation to do it for myself, to prove to myself that I can do it. And so we'll see what happens."

De La Hoya's comments about a comeback come as Golden Boy Promotions prepares to run shows for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, starting on July 24. 

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, the biggest active star under the Golden Boy umbrella, hasn't fought since last November, but De La Hoya told Mannix he's hoping to finalize an opponent for the middleweight champion as soon as next week. 

On his potential return, De La Hoya said he "can do some damage" in the 154-pound weight class. 

“My power, you never lose power," he said. "Maybe my timing might be off a little, but that's something that I'm going to have to figure out. So there's a lot that comes into play. And I just strongly feel that I can do it.”

Mannix noted that De Le Hoya made it clear he doesn't want to come back for a one-off exhibition bout and wouldn't be interested in a tune-up match. 

De La Hoya, 47, announced his retirement in April 2009, five months after he lost to Manny Pacquiao when his corner called for a stoppage between the eighth and ninth rounds. He lost four of his final seven matches after a 36-2 record to start his career. 

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a 10-year, $503 million contract extension Monday, making him the first player in sports history to sign a contract worth more than a half-billion dollars.

Here's a look at the other top earners based on total contract value, per Forbes' Kurt Badenhausen:

• Floyd Mayweather (Boxing): $450 million
• Mike Trout (MLB): $430 million
• Canelo Alvarez (Boxing): $365 million
• Bryce Harper (MLB): $330 million
• Giancarlo Stanton (MLB): $325 million

Steinberg Sports, Mahomes' agency, confirmed the terms of the agreement, noting the quarterback gets "$477M in guarantee mechanisms and ability to have outs if guarantee mechanisms aren't exercised."

There is also a no-trade clause in the contract, per the agency.

Mahomes' extension will go into effect after the final two years of his current deal are complete and will link him with the Chiefs through the 2031 NFL season, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

The 24-year-old Texas Tech product's lucrative, long-term deal was widely expected after he led Kansas City to a 31-20 triumph over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV in February.

He's already building the foundation for a Hall of Fame career after the Chiefs selected him with the 10th overall pick in the 2017 draft. He was named the NFL regular-season MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 2018 and he's earned a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first two years as the team's starter.

Mahomes discussed his desire to remain in K.C. for the long haul in May.

"I want to be a Chief for a long time," he said. "I want to have a contract that says that and then I can go out there and know I have that security and everything like that. I understand and trust the Chiefs' organization and everybody in it will handle it the right way. I trust my representation that they're going to ease my mind and let me go out there and just love the game that I've loved playing. Whenever it happens, it happens."

No position in major team sports carries more weight in determining a team's championship hopes than an NFL quarterback. A great one like Mahomes instantly transforms a franchise into a title contender.

In turn, it's no surprise the current gold standard for QBs was rewarded with a record-setting contract.

It's already been 552 days.

And if recent suggestions are correct, it will be at least another 176 more.

But regardless of when it occurs, one thing's for certain: Gennady Golovkin is looking forward to getting hands on Canelo Alvarez a third time.

When the consensus middleweight champion left the T-Mobile Arena ring after a bout with his cinnamon-haired contemporary in September 2017, he was happy he had retained his cadre of title belts via split-decision draw but frustrated he had been denied a win most ringsiders felt he earned.

A day short of a year later, in September 2018, it was a familiar feeling for the Kazakh.

The problem was, his post-fight duffel bag was a great deal lighter without the WBA, WBC, IBF and IBO straps he arrived with—thanks to matching 115-113 verdicts for Alvarez (seven rounds to five) provided by Steve Weisfeld and Dave Moretti, which overrode the even score tallied by Glenn Feldman.

Both Weisfeld and Moretti scored the 12th round for the winner, who landed 21 punches to Golovkin's 20 in the final three minutes, according to CompuBox (h/t BoxingScene.com).

If either had leaned the other way, the result may have been a second straight draw.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D49bvTftza4

Instead, the threadbare nod in Alvarez's favor revved the enmity that had already developed between the once-amiable foes. The always accessible Golovkin left the ring without a post-fight interview, and the bitterness symbolized by the exit is precisely the kind of accelerant that has since fueled a promotional hype machine perpetually seeking new angles.

First cordial competitors. Then agreeable rivals. Now dyed-in-the-wool enemies.

A third bout is reportedly on the docket for this September 12, pending success in interim tests for both—Alvarez against Billy Joe Saunders and Golovkin versus Kamil Szeremeta—alongside clearing of a burgeoning logjam of fight cards whose dates have been altered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Two wins would boost Golovkin, who turns 38 next month, to 42-1-1 in a 14-year pro career.

But even more vital than the resume enhancement would be the sanity restoration.

That's the feeling of HBO stalwart Jim Lampley, who called both Alvarez-Golovkin bouts for the premium cable giant and believes exorcising the Mexican ghost carries far more weight for Triple-G than titles or pound-for-pound rankings ever could.

"Life and death for his psyche," Lampley told Bleacher Report. "Not that big for his legacy just because he wouldn't be favored. Great legacy anyway. More important that it be another great fight."

Indeed, opening odds from BetOnline have labeled Golovkin a +200 proposition for meeting No. 3, meaning a $100 wager on him would yield a $200 profit. Meanwhile, Alvarez is listed as a -260 favorite, which means a $260 outlay is required to return a $100 profit if he caps the trilogy with a second win.

Betting aside, public opinion leaned hard in Golovkin's favor after each of the first two bouts.

And given that reality, Lampley said, belief will probably remain on his side later this year, too.

"Fact is, even though Canelo has a draw and a win officially, feedback on the web strongly suggests the public believes GGG won both fights," he said. "Many bad things can happen to a boxing career, but official setbacks in fights fans believe you won is the opposite. The judges have given Gennady a gift: He is a martyr. History shows they only love you more for that.

"I understand why public sentiment registers as it does. Hardest sport to score, and probably 20 of 24 rounds were close. And GGG is one of the most fan-friendly fighters ever. Style, face, garbled English, everything about him. Compelling In the way only the pure attacker can be."

Presuming all goes as planned, Alvarez and Golovkin will enter airspace reserved for the sport's most recognized pairs and ensure a prominent spot for each on one another's Hall of Fame plaques.

Heavyweight legends Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier laid much of their career foundations over 41 rounds between 1971 and 1975, while welterweights Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran did the same across three fights from 1980 to 1989. The careers of Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward were defined by three apocalyptic fights through 13 months in 2002 and 2003, and Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez took it a step further, fighting four times at three weights between 2004 and 2012.

Naturally, there's no guarantee a third encounter will rise to those levels.

But given the finesse of their first encounter and the ferocity of their second, it's close to a lock that Alvarez and Golovkin—who combined to throw more than 1,500 punches in the sequel—will find something worthwhile to offer the paying customers.

"My gut says it's 1-1," Lampley said. "GGG first. Canelo second. A reason the third will sell."

Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin will fight for a third time after Lance Pugmire of The Athletic revealed on Tuesday the two fighters have reached a verbal agreement over a trilogy bout to take place at a future date.

Boxing, like the vast majority of other sports, is currently on hold in response to the outbreak of the coronavirus. However, discussions are still taking place behind the scenes to arrange fights for when mass gatherings are deemed safe again.

Pugmire noted how the rescheduling of Alvarez's intended super middleweight unification fight with Billy Joe Saunders could determine when this trilogy bout takes place: "Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) still intends to first fight Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, sources say, followed by Golovkin. The hope is for the trilogy bout to take place on Sept. 12 at AT&T Stadium outside Dallas, though date and site are not finalized at this time."

Pugmire was also told how an alternative would be to skip over Alvarez taking on Saunders and move straight to the matchup against Golovkin.

A third bout would give IBF middleweight Golovkin the chance to score his first victory over Alvarez. The latter won on points in 2018 after the two had scrapped to a draw in September 2017.

Other remaining issues that need to be worked out include choosing the weight class the headline fight will be classified within. Pugmire's sources informed him Alvarez has so far given his consent for the bout to be staged at the 160-pound limit for the middleweight division.

There is no deadline for a decision on the fight weight, though, meaning Alvarez could opt for a limit of 168 pounds. It's the super middleweight level, where Alvarez is the WBA champion.

The 29-year-old's fight with Saunders is supposed to unify the titles in the division, with the latter owning the WBO strap. They were supposed to meet in Las Vegas on May 2, but Saunders is still preparing for a fight Alvarez wants to happen in June, according to ESPN Mexico (h/t Michael Benson of TalkSport):

📆 As things stand, Canelo Alvarez's plan is reportedly to go through with the Billy Joe Saunders fight in June and then have the trilogy with Gennady Golovkin in September. [According to @ESPNmx]

🤼 BJS is already out in America and remains in training for the bout. pic.twitter.com/8pKN6JGbP5

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 17, 2020

A fight with Saunders represents an obvious challenge for Alvarez, something the Mexican fighter doesn't believe he would receive from Golovkin.

Alvarez has previously played down the idea of another meeting with his familiar rival, per Marc Williams of TalkSport: "I mentioned it before, it’s really not a challenge for me. I won 24 rounds, it’s really not a challenge for me. But if it’s good business, then why not?"

“Here comes a left hook to the body.” 🤥 #misdirection #boxing pic.twitter.com/h17Ly0R9S2

— Lee Wylie (@leewylieboxing) March 10, 2020

Golovkin is 38, but the Kazakhstan native proved his enduring toughness and skill when he beat Serhiy Derevyanchenko by unanimous decision to regain the IBF middleweight belt at Madison Square Garden back in October.

Whether Golovkin is still a worthy opponent for Alvarez or not doesn't hide the fact completing the trilogy makes financial sense for both. It would take place under the umbrella of streaming service DAZN, with whom Alvarez has a 10-fight, $350 million deal after negotiating with Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions to free himself up to meet Golovkin again, per Pugmire.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will reportedly put his WBA (regular) super middleweight title on the line and face Billy Joe Saunders in a unification bout on May 2.

ESPN Deportes' Salvador Rodriguez (h/t ESPN) reported the Cinco de Mayo weekend date has been set, with Saunders also putting his WBO super middleweight belt up for grabs.

Four-division world champion Alvarez (53-1-2) last fought in November when he finished Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round.

Saunders, 30, also last fought in November 2019 when he finished Marcelo Esteban Coceres in the 11th round. The matchup was his first fight to be held in the United States.

The fixture has been speculated about for several months, but it appears as though an official confirmation isn't far off following a breakthrough, per TalkSport's Michael Benson:

✅🤝 Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders have reportedly now "reached an agreement" to fight on May 2nd in Las Vegas. It's claimed an announcement should come within the next 24 hours. Saunders' WBO super-middleweight title on the line. [According to @ESPNmx] pic.twitter.com/UiKEtF54Nw

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) March 5, 2020

Alvarez, 29, has favoured Cinco de Mayo weekend for fights during his career, notching wins over the likes of Amir Khan (2016), Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (2017), Shane Mosley (2012) and most recently Daniel Jacobs (2019) around those dates. 

The Mexican superstar is enjoying a four-win streak following his controversial draw against Gennady Golovkin in September 2017 and has gone undefeated in his last 12 bouts.

It's been reported an agreement over purse payouts has been at the core of delays regarding a deal, and Saunders hinted as much in late February when referring to an alleged £6 million offer:

I’ll give that to my children to go to the shop with 😴☺️☺️ https://t.co/TUKpGKgSn7

— billyjoesaunders (@bjsaunders_) February 29, 2020

Superb's win over Coceres at the Stapes Center in Los Angeles was only his second bout in North America, having previously defeated Canadian David Lemieux in his home province of Quebec in December 2017.

Saunders looks to be set for his first matchup in Las Vegas with the 168-pound duel reportedly booked for the T-Mobile Arena.

Oscar De La Hoya has effectively ruled out the chance of Floyd Mayweather and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez facing off again in the future.

Mayweather has not fought since his win over UFC star Conor McGregor in August 2017, although he has recently teased a possible return to action in 2020 on social media.

When quizzed about Mayweather's return and a possible showdown between Money and Canelo, De La Hoya said he's doubtful any rematch will happen, per TMZ.

"I think the weight is just too much now," said Canelo's promoter. "Canelo can't make 154. He fought at 175. It's impossible."

De La Hoya continued, saying there's no way any fight will go ahead "unless Floyd gets to 168."

After McGregor beat Donald Cerrone on his return to the UFC this month, Mayweather posted an image on Instagram referring to a possible second clash with the Irishman:

.@FloydMayweather has plans for him and Conor this year 👀 pic.twitter.com/fLe1v4jIGo

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 19, 2020

When the two fought the first time, in what was McGregor's first ever professional boxing clash, Mayweather won via a 10th-round stoppage, securing the 50th win of his career from as many fights.

One of those was a win over Canelo, with Mayweather notching a majority-decision victory over the Mexican in August 2013. That fight was at middleweight, a division Canelo has recently dominated, although the 29-year-old bulked up to light heavyweight to face Sergey Kovalev in his previous outing.

Despite the jump, Canelo had no problem matching the power of his opponent and finished the fight with an emphatic late knockout:

🇲🇽👑 Canelo knocks out Kovalev to become a 4-weight world champion 🇲🇽👑

As the year draws to a close we take a look at some of the best knockouts that we've seen on Sky Sports in 2019.

Is this your KO of the year? 🤔👇 pic.twitter.com/9oqebq9g9o

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) December 26, 2019

Even if the pair were able to agree on a weight for a rematch in the event of a Mayweather return, you sense Money would be hesitant about stepping into the ring with Canelo again.

The Mexican has made huge improvements since the first fight and is arguably the biggest star in boxing at the moment. 

Given the 42-year-old's last outing with anyone other than McGregor was a lopsided points win over Andre Berto in September 2015, it would be a huge ask for him to mix it with Canelo after such a significant period of inactivity.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is reportedly eyeing up a showdown with Billy Joe Saunders on May 2.

Canelo has not been in action since November, when he made his light heavyweight debut and beat Sergey Kovalev. According to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, Saunders is being lined up to take on the Mexican next:

Sources: Canelo Alvarez has zeroed in on Billy Joe Saunders as his May 2 opponent, and negotiations are expected to pick up during the week toward consummating a deal. Saunders holds a 168-pound title, so a victory would make Canelo a full-fledged four-division champion

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) January 11, 2020

Saunders holds the WBO super middleweight title and was also last in action in November, when he faced Marcelo Esteban Coceres.

The prospect of him going head-to-head with Canelo is exciting, especially on the Cinco de Mayo weekend.

Canelo is arguably the biggest name in boxing, having dominated the middleweight division before his step up to light heavyweight. His two clashes with Gennady Golovkin—the first was a draw and Alvarez won the second via majority decision—cemented the Mexican's status as a modern great.

He was able to carry his punching power up the divisions in his previous fight, producing this remarkable combination to beat Kovalev in the 11th round:

🇲🇽👑 Canelo knocks out Kovalev to become a 4-weight world champion 🇲🇽👑

As the year draws to a close we take a look at some of the best knockouts that we've seen on Sky Sports in 2019.

Is this your KO of the year? 🤔👇 pic.twitter.com/9oqebq9g9o

— Sky Sports Boxing (@SkySportsBoxing) December 26, 2019

Saunders could provide a stiff challenge to Canelo, as he's been one of the most proficient fighters in the middleweight division for many years.

The Englishman has won all 29 of his professional fights, although his last top-class opponent was David Lemieux in December 2017 in a fight Saunders won comfortably. A showdown with Canelo would represent a huge step up in quality.

Middleweight boxing kingpin Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has said Floyd Mayweather Jr. is not going to fight him, suggesting the American is more concerned with his rumoured mixed martial arts career.

Canelo, 29, spoke to TMZ Sports and gave short shrift to talk of a rematch when he was asked about Mayweather potentially coming out of retirement:

Accompanied by members of his entourage in Hollywood, California, Alvarez said: "He's not gonna fight with me. He's gonna take on MMA fighters!"

Mayweather hasn't fought since he beat UFC superstar Conor McGregor in the 10th round in August 2017, sealing his perfect 50-0 boxing record before he hung up his gloves for a second time.

However, "Money" reignited speculation of a return to the ring (or Octagon) when he suggested a 2020 comeback was on the cards:

Coming out of retirement in 2020 pic.twitter.com/Cfk2E99Ryk

— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) November 23, 2019

The 42-year-old also posted a photo on Instagram of him sat alongside Dana White, saying he and the UFC president were "working together again to bring the world another spectacular event in 2020."

Mayweather defeated Canelo (53-1) via majority decision when the two fighters met in September 2013, but the latter has since gone undefeated and established himself as a dominant force at middleweight.

The chance of a second fight between the pair seems unlikely considering Alvarez has gradually climbed the weight classes since they last met. His last bout was a TKO finish against Sergey Kovalev to win the WBO light heavyweight title.

That's significantly more than the 152-pound catchweight they fought at in 2013, and Canelo—who holds the WBC, WBA (super) and lineal middleweight titles—would struggle to go near that figure again. He also holds the WBA (regular) belt at super middleweight.

Mayweather has long been open regarding his interest in an MMA transition, though it's been difficult to ascertain just how genuine his comments are. 

The veteran spoke to TMZ in March 2018 and indicated he was going to train with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley:

Canelo has been linked with his own move into MMA with a bout opposite UFC star Jorge Masvidal, but he told Little Giant Boxing (h/t Danny Segura of MMA Junkie) that fight is "not a challenge" for him.

Mayweather's rematch with "Cinnamon" might be considered a dream matchup in the event Money does return to boxing, though Alvarez does not believe it will happen.  

Four-weight world boxing champion Canelo Alvarez may have beaten Sergey Kovalev via 11th-round knockout on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas, but the post-fight chatter continued Friday. 

Per ESPN Deportes' A Los Golpes (h/t ESPN News Services), Alvarez called Kovalev a "bad boxer" and "bad loser" in response to Kovalev's concerns regarding his quick training turnaround after his Aug. 24 victory over Anthony Yarde.

"Weight is not an excuse," Alvarez said regarding Kovalev's fight to make weight. "All fighters have to battle to make weight."

Kovalev, 36, lost the WBO light heavyweight belt in defeat. Alvarez also owns light middleweight, middleweight and super middleweight titles. 

The champ was also forthright about a few other topics, namely his desire to fight the only man to ever beat him in a pro boxing ring, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

"I've imagined fighting him again, but more than a loss, that fight was a lesson," Alvarez said. "I would love to [fight him again], and hopefully we can."

Mayweather beat Alvarez by majority decision in 2013: 116–112, 117-111, 114-114. He recently announced on Instagram that he'll be coming out of retirement in 2020 and will work with UFC President Dana White "to bring the world another spectacular event."

Alvarez also had words for Gennady Golovkin, whom he beat via majority decision in September 2018 in a rematch of their draw one year earlier.

"I don't want to fight with him," Alvarez said. "He doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I gave him 24 rounds, and that's that."

Golovkin has said that he's looking to face Alvarez a third time.

As for the 29-year-old champ's next fight, that is still up in the air.