Bob Arum believes that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s plan to fight Ilunga Makabu may have to be abandoned and suggested a move up to light heavyweight might be more likely.
Artur Beterbiev fights next weekend against Marcus Brown to defend his WBC and IBF belts at 175lbs, and had previously been mentioned as a potential opponent for Canelo after he became undisputed at 168lbs.
However the 31-year-old Mexican had announced he would fight at cruiserweight next May, but Arum has doubts, and claimed Canelo has been in context about Beterbiev and Joe Smith Jr., the WBO champion.
"Eddy Reynoso is a great trainer and is very close to Canelo,” he told Sky Sports.
"I know Canelo pretty well, since he was a young man.
"He has expressed interest to me about fighting Beterbiev or Joe Smith Jr.
"I would look forward to May or September, the two dates that Canelo likes to fight, that he would fight one of those light-heavyweights."
"I think they will have to abandon it," he said of the plan to fight Ilunga.
"Canelo is a risk-taker and that makes him so popular," said Arum of the potential match-up with the unbeaten Russian.
"It would be a massive fight because the betting action would go both ways.
"Some will say Beterbiev is too big and powerful. Others will say Canelo is special and can handle everybody.
"It is one of the biggest fights in boxing."