By Miguel Rivera
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya confirms that his star fighter, Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez (48-1-1, 34KOs), could very well face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (49-2-1, 32KOs) is a Mexican mega-fight.
BoxingScene.com first reported on Wednesday that both sides are discussing a pay-per-view fight for May 6th and a catch-weight of 165-pounds. Chavez would have to move down by three pounds and Canelo - who holds the WBO junior middleweight title - would have to go up by eleven.
Chavez Jr. returned to the ring on Saturday night and won a hard-fought ten round unanimous decision over Germany's Dominik Britsch (32-3-1, 11KOs) in Monterrey, Mexico. He weighed in at 167.8-pounds.
According to De La Hoya, Canelo vs. Chavez is a matter of weight. Chavez would come down by three pounds and Canelo, the WBO junior middleweight champion, would come up by nine pounds.
"[That fight] is possible, it is possible. Both of them want it, it's a matter of the weight," De La Hoya said to ESPN Nation.
Canelo is getting attacked by a lot of critics over the recent news, because he refused to face IBO, IBF, WBC, WBA middleweight champion Gennady 'GGG' Golovkin at the full middleweight limit of 160-pounds, but is now open to facing Chavez Jr. five pounds beyond that.
In response, De La Hoya says the 2017 outline for Canelo would include three fights - in May, September and December. And the fight in September would be the target for the fight with Golovkin - who is close to deal to make a mandatory defense against Daniel Jacobs on March 18 in New York City.
"Canelo will fight three times.... in May, September and December. One of these [dates], we hope it will be in September, will be against Gennady Golovkin. Canelo is not afraid to face GGG," De La Hoya said.
