Just as every major sports organization has suspended, postponed, relocated and cancelled events because of the coronavirus outbreak, boxing should soon be making one its biggest fights of the year official.
Matchroom Boxing head Eddie Hearn said that an announcement around Canelo Alvarez (53-1-2, 36 KOs) vs Billy Joe Saunders (29-0, 14 KOs) is imminent, and that the fight which will stream on DAZN should be announced in the coming days.
"It was due to be announced this week [of March 9], but I do think it will be announced early next week [of March 16], now,” Hearn told IFL. “Everyone is getting their head around [coronavirus] and putting a strategy together. Billy Joe and Canelo is done, and all of the terms are agreed on that fight … Billy Joe is actually in America training right now, and there is supposed to be a press conference [week of March 16]. We'll see what happens.”
Hearn said pushing back the targeted May 2 date to a later one into the summer has not been discussed regarding the super middleweight matchup.
“You'd like to think there is a very strong chance for May 2,” Hearn continued. “Will it be postponed to the end of May, early June? Maybe. But that's one for Golden Boy.”
Earlier this week BoxRec published, and since deleted, that an Alvarez-Saunders fight would take place May 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The 29-year-old and four-division champion Alvarez, the Boxing Writers Association of America fighter of the year in 2019, is of Mexican heritage and predominantly fights on Cinco De Mayo weekend.
Los Angeles-based promotional company Golden Boy, Alvarez’s promoter, is inclined to pull out all the stops for a May 2 matchup in order to maximize the marketing efforts around the holiday.
On Thursday, Oscar De La Hoya had to postpone a show March 28 at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif. headlined by Vergil Ortiz Jr. versus Samuel Vargas and a March 19 show at The Avalon in Hollywood, Calif. headlined by Joet Gonzalez versus Chris Avalos because the California State Athletic Commission called for the cancellation of all combat sports in the state through at least the end of March.
Two Top Rank shows that were supposed to take place in a four-day span starting Saturday were also cancelled in New York on Thursday.
The Nevada State Athletic Commission has not issued any rulings yet on how combat sports should move forward in the Silver State with regard to coronavirus.
The UFC has moved its US-based shows on March 28 and April 11 to the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas with only essential personnel in attendance and without spectators.
Las Vegas casinos have been taking measures to prevent the spreading of coronavirus. Many resorts in recent days have suspended operations in their buffets and nightclubs as a preventive measure of further spreading the disease.
Hearn, who promotes the 30-year-old WBO super middleweight champion Saunders, also has an event May 2 at the Manchester Arena in England between Dillian Whyte and Alexander Povetkin on DAZN.
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist and member of the Boxing Writers Assn. of America since 2011. He has written for the likes of the LA Times, Guardian, USA Today, Philadelphia Inquirer, Men’s Health and NFL.com and currently does TV commentary for combat sports programming that airs on Fox Sports and hosts his own radio show in Los Angeles. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan or via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com.