BY Mike Coppinger & Ben Baby
June 26, 2023
Source: ESPN
Photo Source: Super middleweight undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez, above, returns to the ring on Sept. 16 to face Jermall Charlo. Hector Vivas/Getty Images
Canelo Alvarez will face Jermall Charlo in the first of a three-fight deal Alvarez signed with PBC. The fight is targeted to be held in September and broadcast on Showtime PPV.
Charlo (32-0, 22 KOs) is the WBC middleweight champion, but he hasn't fought since a decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel in June 2021. He'll move up in weight to challenge Alvarez for his undisputed super middleweight championship.
Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs), who defended his titles with a decision over John Ryder in Guadalajara, Mexico, in May, had said he wanted a rematch against Dmitry Bivol, who handed him the second loss of his career in May 2022 in a light heavyweight bout. Boxing fans have wanted Alvarez to face WBC interim champion David Benavidez, but Charlo got the chance.
How does Alvarez defeat a top fighter like Charlo? Can Charlo upset Alvarez after his long layoff? Is Benavidez next for Alvarez if he wins? How about a fight against Errol Spence Jr.?
Mike Coppinger and Ben Baby explain what the deal means, the chances for both fighters and what the future would hold if Alvarez wins.
Is Charlo the best option for Canelo for this fight? Why is he taking it?
Charlo makes sense for Alvarez's second fight this year. The twin brother of junior middleweight undisputed champion Jermell Charlo, Jermall was one of two finalists for the Canelo sweepstakes over two years ago before boxing's top star elected to face Bivol.
Bivol routed Alvarez. Charlo, meanwhile, hasn't competed in two years, when he struggled with Juan Macias Montiel. Between the inactivity and Charlo's personal issues, Alvarez appears to be fighting him at an optimal time.
After going the distance in a win over Ryder in May, the Englishman said that Alvarez is past his best days. Many observers echoed that sentiment. But if Alvarez can pick apart Charlo, an undefeated fighter with plenty of name recognition, perhaps some of those thoughts will wash away.
Charlo is among the most outspoken fighters and will surely help build the pay-per-view event into a marquee one. Alvarez needed a dance partner who could be portrayed as the villain, perhaps, and bring the fire out of him much like Caleb Plant did when they met in November 2021. For all of these reasons, Charlo is an attractive option to kick off Alvarez's three-fight deal with PBC.
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