By James Blears
They may currently be ranked in different divisions, but Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is now aiming for a ring showdown with Britain's Matthew Hatton. That fight would take place on September 18 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Following Canelo's sixth round demolition of Luciano Cuello of Argentina last Saturday, his promoter Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions, told BoxingScene.com he was keen to try and secure a fight with Matthew Hatton. The World Boxing Council, currently ranks Hatton at twenty-three in their Welterweight division ratings. While Canelo is riding high at number two in the Super Welterweight Division.
However, Canelo who weighed in at 150-pounds for last Saturday's fight, insists he wants to win his first world title at welterweight, and Oscar says the fight with Matthew Hatton would be a testing matchup, following Hatton's defense of his European title this coming Friday against former WBA Champion Yuriy Nuzhnenko. That fight will take place at the Bolton Arena.
Oscar mused to BoxingScene: "Matthew has a tough fight coming up. We want to sit down with his people. It would be a tremendous fight and a big step for Saul facing Matthew. It's a dangerous fight, but we think it'd be a great fight and that's the next step that maybe both should be taking.
"Matthew is a great fighter. He's learning, and becoming a better fighter and against Saul Canelo Alvarez, I think it'd be a tremendous matchup. Hopefully we can make that happen. I think Matthew deserves it, and Saul deserves it."
Looking back on Canelo's decisive victory over Cuello, who previously gave Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. a tough tearup fight back in 2009, Oscar stated: "I gave Saul a B+, and the reason why I say this is because obviously he's still learning, and he's only still 19-years-old. He's going to be ready for A+ very, very soon."
