Canelo Alvarez: Next Fight, Opponent, Date, and Venue Revealed

Following a sensational win over Callum Smith, unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is already gearing up for a showdown in early 2021, which he bills as “Homecoming.”

Alvarez, who grabbed the WBC, WBA, and Ring magazine titles against Smith in December wants to unify the division. That said, he plans to set his next fight at his hometown in Guadalajara, Mexico after almost a decade.

It will be his first fight in Mexico since 2011, and Canelo Alvarez wishes to defend his titles against the WBC mandatory Avni Yildirim.

Canelo’s coach Eddy Reynoso connected with Boxing Scene to shed light on the upcoming plans. He cited a highly possible fight between the Mexican and the Turkish prodigies.

Reynoso said, “Yildirim is the next opponent for Canelo due to the WBC mandatory protocol.” 

He further praised the 29-year-old and hailed him for his fighting abilities. Although Yildirim boasts two loses in his record, he is still a looming pugilist in the division. So, it makes sense to pose him opposite Alvarez.

Reynoso told, “Yildirim is a very good fighter and is willing to fight the best. If Yildirim is able to do it, we’re willing to do it too. Why not?”

Canelo Alvarez vs Avni Yildirim- The War in Mexico

Amid all the possible locations, Alvarez opted for Mexico as the venue for his 2021 boxing return. It will be an iconic homecoming. Mexico has several superstar boxers from the land but Alvarez seemingly remains as the pound for pound best.

So, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman doesn’t mind putting a mega-fight at his hometown, especially when Alvarez has returned to boxing action.

“He has wanted to fight in Mexico for a long time. He’s a tremendous, important icon for the country,” said Sulaiman.

The WBC President added, “He’s the best fighter in the world. He represents so much for Mexico, and he wants to give a great moment of happiness to the country.”

While Alvarez continues to dominate the super middleweight scene, there are much bigger challenges ahead. After Yildirim and Caleb Plant,  many more champions await to have a crack at the P4P King.