WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders would no longer be in the plans of WBA middleweight and super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
According to reports, the Mexican icon and broadcaster DAZN would rather think of the Japanese Ryota Murata, ‘regular’ champion of the WBA middleweights, as next opponent. And talks are progressing between two sides for about that would be staged May 3 in Japan for Mat 2 prime time stream on DAZN in the U.S.
Canelo (53-1-2, 36 KOs) jumped up two weight classes and knocked out Sergey Kovalev (34-4-1, 29 KOs) in the 11th round of their fight for Kovalev’s WBO light heavyweight title November 2 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
He then removed thee belt to comply with specific regulations of the WBO, which does not wish to have a champion in more than one different weight category at a time.
Murata (16-2-0, 13 KOs), meanwhile, he defeated Quebecer Steven Butler in his last fight, winning by KOs technical in fifth round, in December 23 in Yokohama, Japan.
On the other hand, Jermall Charlo rejected a very lucrative offer to face Canelo last year, according to Canelo’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions.
“We had an amazing, amazing offer for Charlo, a very lucrative offer for Charlo, and he turned it down. Well, Charlo didn’t turn it down, but his agent or whoever, whoever’s behind PBC, I don’t know.” De La Hoya said.
“I’ve worked with all promoters, I really have. It is difficult, but it’s possible. I’ve worked with promoters. The one promoter I haven’t, or the one agent or whatever he is, PBC [run by Haymon]. It’s been difficult, but I don’t think, it’s hopefully not impossible.
“I think, hopefully, we can make some fights with Haymon because, you know, you have fighters like the Charlo brothers.” he added.
