By Rick Reeno
BoxingScene.com has been advised by a reliable source that Marcos Maidana (31-3, 28KOs) is having seconds thoughts about the welterweight fight with undefeated Keith Thurman (17-0, 16KOs), scheduled to take place as the HBO televised co-feature on July 21 from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. Adrien Broner defends his WBO super featherweight title against Vicente Escobedo in the main event.
Reportedly, Maidana has told people that he will be facing WBC 154-pound champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (40-0-1, 29KOs) on September 15th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
BoxingScene spoke with Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who denied any and all reports of Maidana being booked to face Canelo. Schaefer is waiting to receive additional information before discussing the Maidana-Thurman situation. However, Schaefer made it very clear that Maidana is not the opponent facing Canelo in September.
Schaefer did reveal that Canelo's opponent has "been selected" and the opponent has nothing to do with "the outcome of this weekend's fights." In other words, the opponent is not IBF champion Cornelius "K9" Bundrage or Erislandy Lara. The opponent will be finalized and announced in the coming days.