by David P. Greisman
Now that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has retired, it’s no surprise that Canelo Alvarez is looking to fight on the traditional boxing pay-per-view weekend aligned with Cinco de Mayo. And now that Alvarez has topped Miguel Cotto to become the new lineal middleweight champion, it’s no surprise that his first defense will be on May 7.
That much has been known for a bit. But we now have a location for the fight — the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Alvarez, was unanimously granted approval to put on a card at the Nevada Athletic Commission’s Jan. 12 meeting. This goes counter to what BoxingScene.com was told earlier this month about Golden Boy Promotions placing a hold on the new Las Vegas Arena to be the first boxing match there.
Though no fighters’ names were mentioned during the meeting, it’s safe to assume that this May 7 card at MGM Grand is for Canelo given all the comments from Golden Boy Promotions executives in recent months about when he’d be returning. Also, the commission agenda listed the bout as taking place on HBO Pay-Per-View.
Golden Boy also was granted approval for a fight card the night before, this one taking place on Friday, May 6, at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The show would be broadcast on Estrella TV.
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