Canelo vacating would be a PR disaster for him

Canelo & Oscar have marketed him as this fearless Mexican warrior who takes on all the big fights, win or lose, much in the mold of Oscar himself. Vacating will destroy all of that goodwill they spent several years building going all the way back to the Trout fight. Maybe GBP is just doing some WWE stuff so that when the fight does come off in September, they'll run with the whole "Canelo put his foot down, stuck it to 'The Corporation' by demanding the fight" storyline, thereby enhancing his legend. But that's me being an optimist. I really don't think the fight will happen anytime soon. Which is why if you really hate all the bullshit in this sport, just root for Amir Khan to fight the fight of his life on May 7. They wanted to make extra money and exploit a Middleweight title they don't ever intend to defend against real Middleweights. I'd freaking love to see an unexpectedly rejuvenated Khan cause their best laid plans to blow up in their face like a defective grenade LOL Alvarez never placed any importance on being the WBC 160 champion; the importance was placed on facing an beating Miguel Cotto, just as his career since losing his 154 belts to Floyd has been focused on taking good fights (Angulo, Lara, Kirkland, Cotto, and Khan is a good career stretch if folks are honest). With the WBC 160 belt out of the picture, Alvarez will simply go back to taking the biggest, most marketable fights possible; Pacquiao will be an option, as will the Cotto rematch (Gabriel Rosado, Hassan N'Jikam, and Michael Soro also standing as options for rugged fights to test Alvarez's ability). When he's ready to move onto 160lbs, he'll keep with his m.o., though understanding his business position (Golovkin, Eubank Jr, and others as options). Golovkin isn't as significant a boxing name as you seem to want to think.

I think the situation is spinnable.... They can say that Canelo doesn't have to fight under the WBC terms, as far as I know the split is 55-45 for Champion vs Interim. They can say they don't owe GGG 45% and will drop the belt and revisit the negotiations at a later date. All this could have been avoided though, I don't see why they challenged for the WBC title, the defence against Golovkin has been looming for a while. But I don't think this is going to be the PR disaster that some are claiming. Frampton dropped his 122 titles in no time and went to face Santa Cruz, no one gives a damn that he didn't stay to face Rigondeaux. Canelo just needs to find a replacement lucrative fight and most of the criticism will blow over eventually. You have to remember that this forum doesn't count for the opinion of general fans. When the Khan fight got announced, we all thought this was a joke of a fight (it still is to me) but casuals flocked too it and so did some well known boxing writers.

Its a PR disaster if he doesn't fight Golovkin The fight is high in both the casual and hardcore fan bases wish-list. Thats assuming he stays at Caneloweight. If he goes back to 154 vacating the WBC and GBP titles, then its fair enough

Once Canelo signed to fight Cotto, he put himself in GGG's crosshairs. The fight has to happen. If he drops the belt, he'll lose the respect of many of his fans. It is DLH that needs to realize this as well. It would be a waste too because Canelo fought a lot of good opponents like Mayweather, Trout and Lara. Not fighting GGG would cause him to lose the respect he has earned.

If they go to negotiations and GGG doesn't budge off 160 screw him. He said a couple weeks ago he'd still do 154 for Floyd. Canelo is the next biggest fight out there. Well if it goes to a purse bid which is possible if they can't come to an agreement and Canelo doesn't vacate, then the fight HAS to be at 160, WBC rules. It should be at 160 anyway, Canelo hasn't fought at JMW since 2013 and holds a MW belt.

if they dont fight by Cinco De Mayo next year, im officially calling this a duck Well they have 15 days after the Khan fight to agree to fight and then 30 days to negotiate it, i think? So if he ducks, we'll know within the next month or so.

I don't think it will be that big of a deal as long as he moves back to 154. If he goes that route...it would have looked better for him if he vacated immediately.

There were Mexican/Mexican American fans who turned on Chavez Jr. for not taking the Golovkin fight. The backlash would probbaly be worse for Canelo considering he'd be dumping a belt/insisting on a catchweight.

If they go to negotiations and GGG doesn't budge off 160 screw him. He said a couple weeks ago he'd still do 154 for Floyd. Canelo is the next biggest fight out there.

I don't think this is gonna be as bad as some think. I don't think anyone is gonna be throwing a Canelo parade if it goes down, but I don't think its gonna be THAT bad. For the most part the average fan doesn't give much of a f#ck about the belts these days. You can't. There are far too many of them. The sport is over saturated with belts. They'd have to be & continue to grow less valuable. So while it'll look bad if it drops the belt to avoid fighting GGG at 160 in September, Oscar & Canelo can always spin it into the angle they've seemed to be trying to spin it to. "Canelo isn't a 160lber". They could easily hire a nutritionist & get Canelo down to 154 for a fight or three, fighting some legit 154 guys (who?, Is a good question since Haymon basically owns this division, but HBO & Haymon has been working together so it seems within the realm of possibility they could find options) & then move back up to 160 in May or Sept. of 2017 or sometime in 2018 & assuming Oscar has gotten his wish, & GGG has been knocked off & humanized a lil more or gotten older & less threatening, they can make the fight then & regain back all they lost & more if they do beat GGG. I also think the WBC could buy the whole 155 thing & that Canelo needs more time to grow into the division & more or less switch the titles GGG & Canelo currently have & basically giving Canelo a new time table to fight GGG for the real title while defending the interim title til that time. That'd keep the WBC getting their sanctioning fees from both guys, the fight still makeable in the near future, gives GGG the title he should have & keeps Canelo at his 155 weight for a lil longer. Seems like a all around win for all the parties close to the situation. Fans might be a lil pissed, but some fans are pissed all the time anyway & I don't see this being the straw on the camels back for THAT many people. Only flaw with that is you're looking at it from the perspective of the non-Mexican-American casual fan (and I don't mean you specifically -- but the frame of the analysis you just provided). Mexicans / Mexican-Americans are one of the most knowledgeable fan bases in the sport. They know what's up. Spin doesn't work on them in quite the same way. Boxing is like the #2 sport in Mexico behind "fútbol".

They'll strip him. It'll be like a Cotto situation, Canelo going against the annoying WBC and not bowing down to them. Rubbish like that.

I don't think so. He vacates says he's not ready to move up to middleweight. Uses a similar strategy to GGG that he wants to campaign at 154 and will move up later and then entertain a fight with GGG. He never agreed to fight him just to the terms that he would vacate if he didn't fight him next.

it will be a permanent stain on his legacy like when bowe ducked lewis

I don't think the diehard canelo fanboys understand this. It would be a huge hit to his reputation from a large portion of true mexican fight fans. You know its bad when their only comeback to this entire debacle is pointing out how GGG didn't sign to face a LHW.

Once a match-up has been set in the public's mind vacating isn't an answer. Canelo would need Golovkin to lose or move up. As long as Golovkin stays at 160, Canelo will be answering questions about him.