For the past month, talk has centered on Saul "Canelo" Alvarez possibly moving up two weight classes to challenge WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.
Talks were ongoing until Kovalev decided to continue with a scheduled title defense this past Saturday against Anthony Yarde in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia. Trainer Buddy McGirt nearly stopped the fight in the eighth round, but Kovalev dominated from that point forward to win via 11th-round knockout and keep the hopes of an Alvarez clash intact.
Since defeating Yarde, Kovalev and his team have faced plenty of questions about the potential of fighting Alvarez on Nov. 2, which is a little under 10 weeks away. That wouldn't be a lot of time for Kovalev to rest before heading right back into another training camp.
But McGirt thinks his pupil didn't sustain too much damage from Yarde and would be ready to go and square off vs. Alvarez.
"It is perfect timing. He is fine," McGirt told Sky Sports.
Alvarez hasn't stepped in the ring since beating Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision to add the IBF middleweight belt along with his WBA and WBC titles. Before then, Alvarez went up to super middleweight and knocked out Rocky Fielding in the third round to claim the WBA (regular) championship and his third world title in three different weight classes. A win over Kovalev would be belt No. 4 in a fourth division.
McGirt thinks Kovalev would be open to a catchweight bout between 168 and 175 pounds if that's what it would take to get Alvarez in the ring.
"It depends on the weight," McGirt said.