Canelo Alvarez said that he did not want to go without a fight in 2020 as he discussed the announcement for his bout with Callum Smith.
The pair will fight with the WBA super middleweight title on the line on December 19, marking his first action in the ring since November 2019, when he defeated Sergey Kovalev for the WBO light heavyweight title, which he has since vacated.
Alvarez is aiming to take Smith’s WBA belt to add to his WBA regular belt. Smith earned the belt in September 2018 when he defeated George Groves at the World Boxing Super Series in Saudi Arabia.
Speaking on Instagram, Alvarez previewed the fight, saying: "We are disciplined people who are always ready.
“The only thing we want is to continue making my career and continue growing as a team. We're ready for December 19 against Callum Smith, who is one of the best at 168 pounds ... that makes me very happy.
“We will be fighting against one of the best, I feel very happy about that. We want to continue advancing and continue to be the best. We didn't want 2020 to end without a Canelo fight.”
Smith last fought in November 2019 when he gained a hard-fought win over John Ryder.
Speaking earlier in the year to PA News, Smith explained that he has had Alvarez in mind as an opponent for a while.
“If I clean out the super middleweight division and if he’s in that division then I’m the only fight for him,” Smith said.
“I’ve been wanting a big fight since becoming world champion, so I’m pleased that during these challenging times we can deliver to the fans a fight between the very best in the division.
“I truly believe I [will] beat him and will prove that 168-pounds is my division.”