By Miguel Rivera
World Boxing Organization President Francisco 'Paco' Valcarcel is fully in support of a potential fight between WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders (23-0, 12KOs) and challenger Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (48-1-1, 34KOs), who holds the WBO's world title at 154-pounds.
Saunders has been inactive since capturing the WBO world title last December with a decision victory over Andy Lee at the Manchester Arena. He was scheduled to return on October 22nd, at the Motorpoint Arena in Cardiff against Artur Akavov - but withdrew after suffering an injury and the fight was pushed back to November 26th.
Last month at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas - Canelo knocked out Saunders' stablemate Liam Smith to capture the WBO world title.
Saunders vs. Canelo was being targeted, according to initial plan, for this fall. Saunders was booked to defend his title on the Canelo-Smith undercard, but he was pulled after a disagreement over the opponent. The appearance on the card was supposed to build towards a December 10th fight with Canelo.
Canelo suffered a hand injury during the win over Smith and withdrew from his December return date. Canelo is likely going to fight again in May, as part of Cinco De Mayo weekend. Saunders is a very strong possibility to face Canelo on that date. Canelo wants to move up to the middleweight limit of 160-pounds for his next fight, and build to a showdown with WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin next September.
At the ongoing WBO convention in Puerto Rico, Saunders was ordered - because of his inactivity since last year - to make two mandatory defenses of his title.
The WBO is willing to count Canelo, should he move up in weight, as one of those mandatory obligations.
"That's why in the WBO we are making this effort to ensure that Canelo will be able to fight at 160 pounds with our champion Billy Joe Saunders," Valcarcel said.
