Although the boxing world remains on indefinite hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, Canelo Alvarez is already targeting his return to the ring.
However, the one thing he wouldn’t mention is a potential opponent.
The four-division world champion spoke to Box Azteca about his return but remained mum on who would challenge him.
"In my mind, I'm fighting in September," Alvarez said. "Hopefully all of this will pass and that date will still be possible."
The 29-year-old mentioned that he has been training despite part of his team, including head trainer Eddy Reynoso, staying at home due to the pandemic. He was originally slated to return to the ring on May 2 with reports pointing toward a super middleweight showdown with WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders. The fight was never confirmed as COVID-19 rapidly spread and shut down the sporting world.
After it was clear that a May 2 return was not happening, reports surfaced that Canelo and Gennadiy Golovkin would renew their rivalry with a third fight that could potentially take place in September. However, Golovkin’s trainer, Johnathon Banks, shot down the notion in a recent interview and stated that GGG would need a pair of tune-up fights before a fight with Canelo.
"I don't really know what's next," Alvarez said when asked about who he would be facing next. "Everything is shut down, so I don't know. We had a good plan for 2020, but unfortunately this happened. We had really big plans, and hopefully in July or a month afterward, we'll see positive results with this situation. We'll see what happens."
The reigning middleweight champion is coming off of an 11th-round TKO of Sergey Kovalev back in November to win the WBO light heavyweight title. He also holds a secondary title at super-middleweight when he defeated Rocky Fielding for the WBA (Regular) title in December of 2018.
The options are plentiful for the superstar, but Alvarez says that most of the fighters and promoters who have talked up facing the Mexican champion are all bark and very little bite due to their desire over having a massive payday trumping the opportunity to face arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing today.
"It's been one of the biggest issues,” Alvarez said. “People scream and shout that I'm afraid to face them, but in the end, when we're in negotiations, the first thing they seek is a very big amount, more than they've ever earned. It doesn't make sense. Instead of seeking glory, they look for money. That's fine, but don't exaggerate."