Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez views WBA super middleweight champion Callum Smith as a very good opponent for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez.
There are ongoing discussions for Canelo to face Smith on a date in December, in Texas, with DAZN carrying the contest.
The bout would be the first ring appearance for Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) since he secured an eleventh round knockout victory over Sergey Kovalev in November 2019 to become a four-division champion.
Smith (27-0, 19 KOs), like Canelo, has not fought since last November when he scored a disputed unanimous decision victory over John Ryder.
“Smith is a tall fighter, extremely tall. He looked lousy in his last fight, and a lot of people think he lost that fight. From there Canelo liked him [as an opponent]," said Chavez to ESPN Deportes.
“But he is an opponent that you have to watch out for. He is a very tall fighter for the division and that is what Canelo has to deal with."
Smith, at 6-foot-3, is seven inches taller than Canelo and has a reach advantage of about eight inches.
“[Smith] was seen by many as an ordinary boxer in his last fight, but he is a first-class opponent. We all have a bad night in the ring,” added Chávez. "The logic is that Canelo wins, but anything can happen in the ring."
Either way, Canelo now begins a new era as being his own promoter with a championship fight against a legitimate opponent. Smith is regarded as one of the elite fighters in the division.
Chavez agreed that Smith currently presents a better challenge for Canelo than a third fight against IBF middleweight world champion Gennadiy Golovkin, who is nearly 40-years-old. And he also added the name of WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo as a better option than GGG.
"I talk about GGG, logically yes [Smith would be a better opponent]. Charlo is in his prime, and he showed that he is a very good fighter [in his win over Sergiy Derevyanchenko at the end of September]. Smith had a bad night [against Ryder], but it's going to be very different when he fights Canelo," Chavez said.