Canelo Alvarez wanted to go for a title in a fifth weight class and got the OK to do it. Alvarez (31) will challenge Ilunga Junior Makabu (34) for the cruiserweight championship. This was announced at the WBC Convention as Canelo’s trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso, requested this fight to be approved by the organization.
This could be a new title for Alverez (57-1-2, 39 KOs), this time in a fifth weight class, as earlier this month with an 11th-round TKO of Caleb Plant, he became undisputed champion at 168 pounds. A win over Makabu would make Canelo a five-division champion.
To make this title fight happen, Reynoso needed to petition the World Boxing Council, as Canelo has never competed at cruiserweight. But the WBC approved the fight and negotiations are on their way already. In case no deal is struck, a purse bid will be ordered.
Reynoso said that he knows what Alvarez has done with the heavyweights he spars with, and that is why they asked for the fight. He also added: “We know that [Makabu] is strong, but Canelo can beat him. Many may say that it is crazy, but they also said that it was crazy when Canelo was junior middleweight champion, and we were looking for middleweights, super middleweight, light heavyweights. I have a lot of confidence in Canelo. He is very strong and has many qualities, and I know that he is going to win that fight.”
Makabu who currently has nine consecutive wins since he lost a title fight to Tony Bellew in 2016, was also excited about the fight: “I’m feeling very happy because I fight the best boxer in the planet, Canelo has been beating everyone … but now he’s fighting one tough man,” said Makabu. “I’ll fight anywhere. Even if they put on the fight in his own house with no public. I’ll fight.”
Alvarez unified titles at 154 pounds and 160 pounds but fought only once at 175 pounds with a TKO victory over Sergey Kovalev for a light heavyweight title. Neither fighter has lost for over five years.
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