Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is finally returning to the ring. The self-proclaimed ‘Face of Boxing’ will fight Callum Smith on December 19, live on DAZN. This comes after Canelo was finally freed from Golden Boy Promotions after their long and drawn-out legal dispute.
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Alvarez and Smith will battle it out for the WBA and Ring magazine super-middleweight titles.
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LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 15: Canelo Alvarez celebrates after his majority-decision win over Gennady Golovkin during their WBC/WBA middleweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena on September 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Matchroom Boxing announced the fight on their website and made it official after all the rumors. This will be the Mexican’s first fight in over a year; with his last fight coming against Sergey Kovalev on November 2, 2019. There were rumors of a comeback fight against Caleb Plant; however, things seem to have fallen through. Callum Smith is a more marketable opponent and will provide a different test for Canelo.
The battle for 168lb supremacy!!! @Canelo v @CallumSmith23 Dec 19 in USA live on @DAZNBoxing 🔥 @CANELOTEAM 🇲🇽 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/RCLO2CVU9t
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) November 17, 2020
The announcement has delighted the Mexican star. Speaking to Matchroom boxing, he said, “I’m very happy to return to the ring and continue to make history, I am motivated to continue to be the best, and I look forward to fighting Callum Smith, who is one of the best at 168lbs.”
The fight has also pleased Smith, who was desperate for a big fight. He said, “I’ve been wanting a big fight since becoming World champion, so I’m so pleased that during these challenging times we can deliver to the fans a fight between the very best in the division. I truly believe I beat him and will prove that 168lbs is my division.”
Canelo Alvarez vs Callum Smith; How will it work?
The most interesting aspect of this fight will be Canelo will be fighting on DAZN. Even though his dispute with Golden Boy Promotions did not involve DAZN directly, it was still a big issue for the company with losing out on such a big asset. So it will be interesting to see how it works out for DAZN and Canelo in their association without Oscar Del La Hoya.
They are yet to announce the venue for this fight. Despite this, fans will have a great night of fights. It will also be an intriguing case to see who they add to the under-card of the event.
READ: Ryan Garcia Could Face Luke Campbell on Canelo’s Under-Card
