BoxingScene has confirmed that the IBF has submitted invitations to enter negotiations to both the Mexican star and its top-rated contender, Osleys Iglesias for a proposed vacant title fight. The ruling came down less than a week after Terence Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs) vacated the belt given his recent retirement. Both sides will have three days to accept the offer before the sanctioning body moves down the list of next available contenders.
The ruling came down less than a week after Terence Crawford, 42-0 (31 KOs) vacated the belt given his recent retirement. Crawford defeated Alvarez to win the undisputed 168lbs championship via unanimous decision on September 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Iglesias, 14-0 (13 KOs) is with Eye of the Tiger Management while Alvarez, 63-3-2 (39 KOs) is self-promoted.
The chances of talks moving forward are doubtful and the fight seeing the light of day even less so, for a variety of reasons.
Primarily, Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s career-long trainer, previously confirmed that the former four-division champ underwent elbow surgery and will not return until May at the earliest. Alvarez and Reynoso previously stated an intention to wait until next September, though at a time when it was believed that a Crawford rematch was on the table.
Still, that hasn’t at all dampened the enthusiasm on the Iglesias side.
“IBF officially ordered: Iglesias vs. Canelo,” Camille Estephen, Iglesias’ promoter and head of EOTTM, stated, though not quite accurate in his claim of the fight itself being ordered. “The next chapter begins. Let’s talk about finishing the year on a high note!”
Iglesias has fought just once this year, but he made it count in the best way possible.
Nine days before Alvarez’ near four-year 168lbs championship reign came to an end, Iglesias scored a one-sided, 8th round stoppage win over former title challenger Vladimir Shishkin. The September 4 fight took place in Montreal, with Canada having housed the last five fights of the 28-year-old Cuban southpaw, who primarily lives in Berlin.
The solo appearance of 2025 followed a productive four-fight campaign – all won via knockout and which saw Iglesias rapidly rise through the ranks. He has stopped each of his last eight opponents since a 12-round, unanimous decision over Isaac Chilemba in May 2022, the lone time he’s gone the distance as a pro.
Alvarez has not fought since the loss to Crawford. He previously held at least two major titles at super middleweight since his December 2020 points win over Callum Smith and fully unified the division after a November 2021 11th round knockout of Caleb Plant.
Prior to the haul, the 35-year-old Alvarez held major titles at junior middleweight, middleweight and light heavyweight. Each of those three reigns ended on his terms, when he vacated to pursue opportunities at another weight. His super middleweight run was the only one to end in the ring.
Iglesias-Alvarez is one of three 168lbs title fights that were ordered in the wake of Crawford’s retirement. Interestingly, the other two both involve Hamzah Sheeraz, 22-0-1 (18 KOs), who was ordered to enter talks with Diego Pacheco, 25-0 (18 KOs) for the vacant WBO title and with WBC interim titlist Christian Mbilli, 29-0-1 (24 KOs) for the vacant full belt.
Iglesias and Mbilli are both promoted by EOTTM. Interestingly, neither seem to have a realistic option of landing fights with their well-known, ordered opponents.
In the event that Alvarez declines, the IBF will move down its list of available challengers. Former 154lbs titlist Jaime Munguia is next on the list – and also two spots behind Sheeraz in the WBC ratings. Beyond the Tijuana-bred star, Callum Simpson is still No. 5 but will be removed during the next IBF ratings update due to his upset knockout loss to Troy Williamson.
Sheeraz is one spot below Simpson, though seemingly onto other business. As previously outlined by BoxingScene, the search will then likely lead to Russia’s Pavel Siylagin, 16-0-1 (7 KOs) – precisely the type of fighter who winds up fighting for a vacant IBF belt.
