By Phil D. Jay
WBC light-middleweight champion Saul Alvarez is desperate to secure a prestigious fight with WBA title holder Floyd Mayweather and will once again focus his attention on the American once he takes care of Josesito Lopez on September 15.
Alvarez, who turned 22 this week, was due to meet Victor Ortiz until Lopez upset the odds to claim a stoppage win over the ‘Vicious’ one and ‘Canelo’ will attempt to defend his green belt for the fifth time against the underdog with one eye on a lucrative unification later in the year.
“I would love to fight Mayweather,” Alvarez told World Boxing News. ”My manager knows it and Golden Boy know it. Even Mayweather knows it - It's no secret.
“But now I'm concentrating on Lopez. I can't look past September 15th. Khan and Ortiz suffered big upset defeats lately and I will focus on that not happening to me.
“I think all world champions would like to be the only champion at their weight and I'm not an exception. But many times bigger matches can be made outside that plan. I just want boxing fans to feel that I'm the real world champion at 154.”
Mayweather, 35, is due to be released from a prison stint sometime next month and could be ready to don the gloves again by December. A two-belt battle would certainly capture the boxing public’s imagination as a ‘Youth v Experience’ clash, although it remains to be seen whether the fight is of interest to the pound for pound king.
Phil D. Jay covers boxing for worldboxingnews.net
