Schaefer Hints That Canelo-Lara Could Be in Play

By Rick Reeno

According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, the next return date for Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (43-1-1, 31KOs) is still potentially going to land on July 26th.

"It's a possibility, because he still wants to fight three times. He doesn't want to wait around. He's going to discuss it with his team and let us know," Schaefer told BoxingScene.com. "He's not going to wait until the outcome of Miguel Cotto and Sergio Martinez. He wants to stay busy."

Canelo made a statement on Saturday night at the MGM Grand, by beating down Alfredo Angulo for ten rounds before referee Tony Weeks waved off the contest.

Very soon the hunt will begin for Canelo's next opponent and every possible option will be explored.

"First of all you have to see if Canelo wants to stay at 154, which I think he will. Then we have to see if there is someone from 160 who wants to go to 154, if there is someone at 154, is there someone at 147 who wants to move up. We have to look at the landscape, who is there and who is available. One thing he made clear is that he doesn't plan to wait around," Schaefer said.

One obvious possibility is WBA 'regular' junior middleweight champion Erislandy Lara (19-1-2, 12KOs), who confronted Canelo at the post-fight press conference on Saturday night. Lara will be defending his title against former champion Ishe Smith on May 2nd.

Because the well is currently dry in terms of the possible opponents for Canelo's next two fights in 2014, Schaefer admits that Lara could land Canelo sooner than later.

"[Lara] had a good win with Angulo and it was pretty entertaining performance. He might be the beneficiary of the fact that there is not that much of a talent pool available [for Canelo in 2014]. And he is a titleholder. But maybe there is something you can do a vacant title, but I don't think he wants to do that. I don't think titles are that important to Canelo. What's important to him are his fans. They are very important to him and that's why he wanted to make a statement [against Angulo]," Schaefer said.