By Rick Reeno and Jake Donovan
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez and James Kirkland have agreed to terms for a spring showdown, with the date and venue to be firmed up in the coming days.
Talks have circulated all week of the fight becoming an eventual reality, but remained strictly tentative due to the targeted date and the possibility of other fights happening. The bout took a major step towards becoming official when Kirkland and his team confirmed they were on board earlier Friday afternoon.
All parties involved are now on record stating that the fight is in fact a done deal.
"Canelo vs. Kirkland is on," Alvarez announced from his verified Twitter account.
The most oft-discussed date and location for the fight is May 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. That part has yet to be declared, however, since HBO - who will host the fight on its flagship network and not on Pay-Per-View - and Showtime remain engaged in ongoing discussions over the possibility of a long-awaited showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather.
Alvarez (44-1-1, 31KOs) officially accepted the fight after meeting with promoter Oscar de la Hoya on Friday in San Diego. de la Hoya declared earlier in the week his intention to sit with the biggest star in the Golden Boy Promotions stable to discuss a number of possible fights. Included in the wish list was a coveted showdown with Miguel Cotto that as of a week ago was ruled a dead end, but with Golden Boy's side backing off that claim if in fact it was the fight Alvarez wished to continue to pursue.
Everyone got their answer on Friday.
"de la Hoya met with Alvarez in San Diego. Canelo Alvarez is on board; both fighters are now on board," Mike Miller, Kirkland's co-manager told BoxingScene.com on Friday. "We are hoping to do it May 2, but the details have not been finalized regarding the date."
The only fight that would prevent Alvarez-Kirkland from landing on May 2 - the Saturday preceding Cinco de Mayo - would be Mayweather-Pacquiao. Any other fight targeted for that date can likely plan to go head-to-head with what would easily serve as the biggest HBO main event in years.
Alvarez returned to HBO following a five-fight stint with Showtime and its pay-per-view arm beginning with his Sept. '12 knockout win over Josesito Lopez. His run included a 12-round win over Austin Trout - which played to 40,000 fans at the Alamodome - and his record-breaking Sept. '13 PPV headliner with Mayweather, which serves as the highest grossing event of all time both in the pay-per-view market and at the box office.
Despite losing to Mayweather, Alvarez remained exclusively on PPV in 2014 but fighting on dates separate from Mexico's two most celebrated national holidays, Cinco de Mayo in May and Mexican Independence Day in September. Mayweather has made it a habit to fight on those dates in recent years, including each of the past two years since signing with Showtime in 2013.
Alvarez prompted Golden Boy Promotions to bring him "back home" to HBO, with the idea that he would be able to fight on those dates free of conflict with Mayweather, at least from Showtime's scheduling perspective.
Kirkland (32-1, 28KOs) hasn't fought since a Dec. '13 knockout win over Glen Tapia. Ironically, the hard-hitting Texan was supposed to face Alvarez in the Sept. '12 headliner on Showtime (at the time scheduled for Pay-Per-View), but withdrew due to dissatisfaction over the financial terms and also to allow his surgically repaired right shoulder to heal.
