Canelo Alvarez has four possible opponents for his next fight, with Chris Eubank Jr. taking over as the favorite.
ESPN’s Salvador Rodriguez reports that Eubank has overtaken Edgar Berlanga, Jermall Charlo, and William Scull as Canelo’s top choice in the fall. Canelo’s record of facing British opponents is substantial, and Eubank Jr. potentially adds his name to the list of Canelo’s English victims, past and present.
Eubank, son of UK legend Chris Sr., last fought in September 2023 when avenging a loss to ex-Canelo opponent Liam Smith. Based in Las Vegas, the former WBA interim middleweight champion would be a sound choice for boxing fans on the other side of the Atlantic.
Currently, Canelo is considering fighting on a date other than his usual Mexican celebration weekend in Nevada. That’s because UFC Noche is taking place on September 14.
Canelo will likely delay his return until at least October as Eubank finally closes in on facing one of the top names he’s craved for years. Eubank previously agreed to fight Gennadiy Golovkin but was replaced by Kell Brook late on when he disagreed with something in the contract.
If Eubank is chosen, it would be a massive blow to Berlanga, Charlo, and Scull, all of whom were lined up for the fight at one point.
El británico @ChrisEubankJr se sumó a la lista de posibles rivales de @Canelo y ahora es el favorito para cerrar acuerdo. Fue campeón mundial de peso Medio y tiene marca de 33-3 con 24 KO. Acaba de noquear en revancha a Liam Smith, otrora víctima del jalisciense. pic.twitter.com/jdKXNDKWSr
— Salvador Rodriguez (@ChavaESPN) July 4, 2024
Outlining the shock development, Rodriguez said, “The Briton Chris Eubank Jr. joined the list of possible rivals for Canelo and is now the favorite to close an agreement. He was a world middleweight champion [interim and IBO] with a record of 33-3 with 24 KOs. He has just knocked out Liam Smith, a former victim of the Jalisco native Canelo, in revenge.”
Eubank is highly ranked at 160 pounds but has campaigned at 168 before and is well-acclimatized to the division. It’s just a question of Canelo making a final choice from what seems to be a growing list.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
