By Keith Idec
NEW YORK – Canelo Alvarez was willing to talk Tuesday about fights against Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto and Gennady Golovkin.
One fight the Mexican star dismissed during an informal gathering with boxing writers at HBO’s Manhattan building was a rematch against Erislandy Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs). Alvarez barely beat the Cuban-born southpaw by split decision July 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Lara lobbied for a rematch in the immediate aftermath of their first fight and thereafter, but Alvarez isn’t interested because he believes Lara ran from him during much of their 12-round Showtime Pay-Per-View main event.
“He doesn’t deserve it,” said Alvarez, who recently agreed to a multi-fight deal to box exclusively on HBO and HBO Pay-Per-View. “As much as he talked, and the way he fought, he doesn’t deserve it.”
Judges Levi Martinez (117-111) and Dave Moretti (115-113) scored their fight for Alvarez. Judge Jerry Roth scored it for Lara (115-113).
“I don’t think it’s important to talk about that fight,” Alvarez said, referring to the mostly tactical nature of his narrow win over Lara. “I’ll make you guys go to sleep again.”
The 24-year-old Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, confirmed Tuesday that the former junior middleweight champion will return to the ring Dec. 6 against Ghana’s Joshua Clottey (38-4, 22 KOs). The Alvarez-Clottey clash, which will officially be announced sometime next week, will take place at Alamodome in San Antonio and will be televised live on HBO.
Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, N.J., and BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
