What’s Next for Canelo After Big Comeback Win Over Angulo?
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez had an impressive bounce back win over Alfredo Angulo last weekend to reestablish himself as one of the best fighters in the division, and one of the better young fighters in today’s game. With that out of the way, who should be next for Canelo? Check out the top 5 opponents for Canelo’s next fight.
1. Erislandy Lara
Canelo vs. Lara is the fight everyone seems to be clamoring for right now. Lara made his intentions clear when he hijacked the microphone and got in Canelo’s face during the post-fight press conference. “Everyone wants to see the fight. When can you and I fight?” Lara exclaimed.
It would certainly be an interesting fight for fans, but from Canelo’s point of view, he could come out on the wrong end, looking more like he did after the Mayweather fight. Yet, we’ve also seen that Lara can be hit, hurt and knocked down. If Golden Boy wants to sell Canelo as a viable pay-per-view draw by himself, he has to start making and winning tough fights, not just ones that he’s expected to dominate. Lara is right on up there with the best of them, so the question is whether the massive risk of facing Lara is counterbalanced by the potential rewards.
2. Miguel Cotto
Even if Miguel Cotto doesn’t beat Sergio Martinez, as long as he doesn’t get beaten up or humiliated, then this fight still makes all the sense in the world. Cotto, of course, initially passed a Canelo fight and a $10 million offer for this chance at Martinez. But the fight is still highly attractive for both parties. Each man brings in a big name and large fan base, and each is still one of the top junior middleweights in the world despite shared setbacks against Mayweather.
3. Gennady “GGG” Golovkin
Golovkin is not fighting in April as he was initially scheduled after the passing of his father. But when he does return, a fight with Alvarez would be immensely entertaining and tantalizing. Two emerging fighters on the top of their game, who both hit hard. Golovkin is heavier, but a catch weight could certainly be arranged. Considering that Canelo didn’t even make the 154 lbs limit for the Angulo fight, and routinely enters the ring as a light heavyweight, maybe the size difference isn’t actually that great.
Of course, as we have seen with Golovkin, he has the potential to absolutely destroy his opponents, and Canelo’s team is unlikely to step up to that sort of challenge. But the reward would be massive — a win over GGG would vault Canelo into another stratosphere if he was able to accomplish the task. From Golovkin’s perspective, he’d finally have a big name dance partner to tee off on.
4. James Kirkland
Coming off an exciting performance against Glen Tapia, Kirkland is poised to continue his latest comeback, not only as one of the top junior middleweights, but also as perhaps the most entertaining. Kirkland supposedly wanted more money than what was being offered to fight Canelo back in 2012, but the fight now has perhaps even more appeal. This is certainly one of the more marketable fights for him, as both sluggers will be aiming for the knockout. This is one that should be on any fight fan’s wish list.
5. Jermell Charlo:
Charlo is a young, hungry and undefeated fighter, and we saw his skill set against Gabriel Rosado. It may not be the most marketable fight yet, but for boxing fans it may be one of the more intriguing matchups that could be made. It’d be wise though for the still just 23-year-old Alvarez to take on other young, talented fighters, which could develop him more and further bolster his credentials. However, even without the big name attraction, Canelo’s team likely would prefer a squared up opponent that Canelo can easily engage.
