Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
Saul Alvarez early favourite for 154lb unification
Floyd Mayweather’s recent announcement of a May 4 return to
the ring could now mean that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez gets his wish to challenge
for the pound for pound crown in the coming year.
WBA light-middleweight champion Mayweather, through his
advisor Leonard Ellerbe, has already named his next outing ‘Cino de Mayweather’
– a slant on the Mexican holiday ‘Cinco de Mayo’ and with Alvarez the current superstar
of Mexican boxing, it seems a no brainer.
Jalisco-born ‘Canelo’ currently holds the WBC version at
154lbs and has been eager to face the sport’s figurehead for some time after
racking up an impressive 42-fight unbeaten record at the age of just 22.
There is now a strong possibility that the unification bout
could become a reality for the young pretender as both fighters have strong
ties to Golden Boy, meaning the fight would be relatively straightforward
to make.
The only other option that seems open to ‘Money’ is a switch
back down to welterweight where mandatory challenger Robert Guerrero awaits for
his chance after retaining the interim title to Floyd's WBC belt against Andre Berto last month.
A clash with ‘The Ghost’ could easily be worked into the
Mexican theme as for Guerrero’s Hispanic roots, although a two-belt battle with
Alvarez looks the more lucrative offering for Mayweather and would certainly
capture the world’s imagination.