Saúl 'Canelo' Álvarez Wants To Fight Erislandy Lara; Golden Boy Promotions Finishing Deal

Coming off an impressive 10^th-round knockout against fellow Mexican boxing talent Alfredo Angulo, 23-year-old Guadalajara native Canelo Álvarez is looking forward to getting back in the ring following the 43^rd victory of his remarkable career. Despite losing to undefeated Floyd Mayweather Junior in September of 2013 – the only loss of his professional boxing career – Álvarez remains among the top fighters in the junior middleweight class. Hoping to put the finishing touches on his next fight, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said recently that Canelo could find himself between the ropes in the coming months against 30-year-old Erislandy Lara.

“When I met with Canelo last week, we discussed the date, the site and different opponents, and two of those have been resolved,” Schaefer said. “Canelo feels very comfortable fighting at the MGM. So we have the date and venue locked in and then we had to look at opponents. Canelo made it clear that his first choice is Lara because a lot of people, fans and media, feel he would be afraid of fighting somebody with the skills of Erislandy Lara. They're saying that he will never fight Lara, the same way people thought he wouldn't fight Austin Trout. And you saw what happened.”

If a bout between Álvarez and Lara were to happen, July 12 seems to be the agreed date with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas serving as the venue. Lara – a physical southpaw from Guantanamo, Cuba – was recently elevated to full title holder in the junior middleweight division and even though he currently holds that top honor, Canelo doesn’t believe the fight should be tabbed as a championship showdown since he feels Floyd Mayweather Junior is the true division champion. The potential match would also be contracted at the class limit of 154 pounds and would air as a Showtime Pay-Per-View event.

“Canelo thinks Floyd is the champion,” Schaefer pointed out. “Floyd beat Canelo and Canelo thinks Floyd is the champion, so how can Lara be a champion. So Canelo doesn't want it for a title so it won't be a title fight, but if Lara wants to defend the title he can pay the sanction fees. But Canelo said he doesn't want to fight for the title. A lot of people feel Lara is the best at 154 pounds after Floyd. Canelo said, 'That's the guy I want.' I presented other names to him. He didn't say yes and he didn't say no. But he kept saying, 'Get me Lara. That's what my fans want to see.' So I have begun negotiations with Team Lara.”

While Canelo Álvarez continues to prepare for his next and currently unscheduled bout, Lara (19-1-2, 12 KO) awaits his upcoming meeting with American talent Ishe Smith. The two will square off on May 2 from the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.