WBC light middleweight champion Saul Alvarez and WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are regarded by many as two of the brightest young stars in the sport today, and due in part to their promotional allegiances, are expected to meet in the ring sooner or later.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum, who promotes Chavez Jr. is apparently intent on making that happen in the near future.
Speaking to Dan Rafael yesterday, Arum said:
“Freddie wants that fight, the kid wants that fight, we’re ready. We just need a willingness on Canelo’s part to do it. We’re ready to do that fight. But I don’t think they want the fight.”
Of late Canelo has tended to avoid talk of facing Chavez, usually simply stating that he isn’t a concern since he’s currently in a different division.
Alvarez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya though hasn’t been nearly so coy on the matter. Tweeting to the masses immediately after Alvarez’s dominant performance against Ryan Rhodes, De La Hoya said:
“I would make Canelo vs Chavez jr anytime at 154 pounds”
And therein lies one of the two problems with making the fight actually happen. Chavez Jr. at this stage of his career is almost certainly too big to ever make 154lbs again.
If the 154lb limit is as rigid as it appears, De La Hoya might as well have offered to match Alvarez against Vitali Klitschko, but only if the Ukrainian behemoth can cut the requisite hundred pounds or so.
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Alvarez on the other hand fought his first genuine light middleweight in Ryan Rhodes earlier this month.
Even with a catchweight, Alvarez would still be in dire need of some larger opponents first to prepare him for taking on someone as big as Chavez Jr.
The main reason that the two won’t meet for at least a couple of years however is that there is simply too much money to be made by keeping them apart for the time being Advertisement
Both are big draws in Mexico and the U.S, both are exciting to watch, and both are probably on the cusp of becoming genuine pay per view attractions in their own rights.
In two or three years time both might be regularly selling the kind of pay per views that only the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are right now.
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A fight between the pair now would mean a loss to one of them, and a lot less fan interest from that point on. This would them mean the loss of millions of dollars to the promoter of the losing party.
Also if Arum sounds more keen to put the fight on now there is probably good reason.
Chavez Jr. at 25 is probably getting close to as good as he’s ever going to get.
Alvarez at 20 is still showing improvements in each fight, and dominated an opponent in Rhodes many thought would be a real test.
Also while Alvarez has more or less free reign to fight whoever he wants, the WBC have ordered Chavez Jr. to fight Sergio Martinez after his upcoming voluntary defense against Peter Manfredo Jr, a fight he has little chance of winning.
Top Rank and the WBC divided over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr facing Sergio Martinez
Simon Ecclestone, Pitt: “Arum knows Chavez Jr. will lose to Martinez and he wants to get him out of it by matching him against Alvarez instead, who would also beat him”
