Eddie Hearn has revealed that Jermall Charlo is the favorite to fight Canelo Alvarez next.
Those comments would rule out a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, as the two camps disagree over the nature of the weight.
Alvarez is keen on fighting at 175 lb, while Bivol reportedly wants a crack at Canelo’s undisputed super-middleweight titles at 168 lbs.
Barring that, the other names on the potential list of opponents were David Benavidez, Badou Jack, and Charlo.
“You can’t expect Charlo to be competitive with Canelo”
• Hearn says Charlo front runner for Canelo fight
• Says Bivol is the fight they really want but they can’t make it happen pic.twitter.com/p24Y5WljKe
— FIGHT HUB MARCOS (@heyitsmarcosv) June 20, 2023
Regarding the ‘Mexican Monster,’ Canelo has appeared reluctant, especially since Benavidez accused his team of failing to respond to a fight offer.
Meanwhile, a fight with the WBC cruiserweight champion (Jack) was ruled out over disagreements about the weight.
A catchweight at 180 lbs failed, as Jack accused Canelo of trying to drain him.
That left Charlo as the sole option, yet he has been out of the ring for two years since his win over Juan Macias Montiel.
The fight would make financial sense and give Canelo an advantage, as Charlo would have to move up to 168.
With that being said, this is what Hearn had to say.
“I think the [Jermall] Charlo fight is probably the frontrunner right now. I spoke to Eddy [Reynoso] last week. Obviously, they wanted to fight Dmitry Bivol.[
“[But] I think Charlo is the front-runner for September perhaps and we’re looking at other options for him for January and February as well.”
Despite this being the case, boxing fans were disappointed that a fight with Benavidez did not materialize, with many predicting an easy win for Canelo over Charlo.
Social Media Response
Easy work for Canelo
— spico blanco 2 electric boogaloo (@Cassius28865223) June 15, 2023
Should have been Benavidez
— Dan Frost (@DannyBoyFrost) June 15, 2023
cherry pick
— Geo (@Certi_Geo) June 15, 2023