Schaefer: Alvarez's Future Includes Hatton, Berto, Pacquiao
By Lem Satterfield
Golden Boy Promotions have some very big plans for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez. The 20-year-old boxer is already a major star in Mexico. Golden Boy's CEO Richard Schaefer is mapping out a plan to build him into an A-level star in the United States.
Alvarez returned to action on Saturday night in Veracruz, Mexico. He won a lopsided twelve round decision over tough veteran Lovemore N'dou. The immediate name being discussed for Alvarez's next opponent is British welterweight Matthew Hatton, who is the younger brother of former two division champion Ricky Hatton.
"Some of the names that have been mentioned are Matthew Hatton, so that's a possibility. But I would have to discuss that with Oscar [De La Hoya] and with [Top Rank VP] Eric Gomez and with Team Canelo what some of the other names are. Sometimes when you are 20 years young, and you have everything going for you, and are in against these legends, and you do not just win, but you knock them out, then you sometimes you have to slow someone down," Schaefer said.
After a few more fights, the bigger names are going to enter the picture. Some of the names include WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
"We mentioned Manny Pacquiao, we've mentioned Andre Berto. So I do think that these kinds of fights are eventually going to come. But we just have to make sure that with every test that Canelo is learning," Schaefer said. "It's a learning experience, and, eventually, when you put all of these learning experiences together, then your fighter is going to be ready to challenge for these world titles or the pound-for-pound belts and things like that. So there is really no rush.
"There's not that much of a rush, because, Canelo, I think, has been capturing and cementing his reputation here in the United States in the same way that he has done in Mexico. In my opinion, the first order of business is to continue to do it against opponents who are dangerous, but who are part of the learning process."
Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here.