By Miguel Rivera
Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr., father and business adviser to Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (49-2-1, 32KOs), hopes a deal with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (48-1-1, 34KOs) will get finalized by next week.
The two sides are negotiating a catch-weight bout at 165-pounds that would headline an HBO Pay-Per-View event on May 6th. At the moment, the biggest issue with finalizing Chavez-Canelo is the money.
Canelo, who holds the WBO junior middleweight title, would move up from 154-pounds, while Chavez Jr. would come down from the super middleweight limit of 168.
As BoxingScene.com previously reported, Chavez Jr. was offered a guarantee of $6 million and some other incentives to take the fight, but he wasn't very impressed with the terms on the table.
Chavez Sr. is crossing his fingers that everything will get wrapped up for the near year.
"This is the fight we want, we're still talking and everything is going well. We hope that everything will get done shortly. Let's see what happens," Chavez Sr. said.
Canelo's promoter, Golden Boy Promotions President Eric Gomez, hopes the fight gets finalized, and says a decision will be made on Canelo's next fight in the coming days.
"We want to make the fight with Chavez. Next week we will make a decision. The discussions are going well and we will continue talking," said Gomez.
"What I can say right now is that there is still no fight. We are working hard and making every possible effort [to get the fight done]. It is the fight that Canelo wants, we are in talks and we will see what happens. We will speak again today and continue until we have a yes."
Canelo already has a backup plan in 2017, as the World Boxing Organization approved his request to become the mandatory challenger to WBO middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders. Chavez Jr. - who is much better known in the United States and Mexico - has the edge to become Canelo's dance partner.
