Pound for Pound king Canelo Alvarez has a plan for 2022 that includes three Pay Per View fights on the new DAZN paid platform.
However, after a stellar 2021 in which Canelo won the WBN Fighter of the Year, 2022 is not as impressive by a long shot.
Canelo beat two undefeated fighters in 2021 and scooped up the remaining world titles to become undisputed at super-middleweight.
According to Eddie Hearn, aiming for the light-heavyweight division in 2022, Canelo only has one title on his radar.
The Matchroom boss says Canelo will fight Gennadiy Golovkin in a rematch after Dmitry Bivol before rounding off with a 175 title defense in the UK.
2022
“Canelo wants to fight in London in December,” Hearn told talkSPORT. “We’ve got the mandatory for his super-middleweight championship and the mandatory for his light-heavyweight title.
“So John Ryder or [the winner of] Joshua Buatsi vs. Craig Richards. We’re well-placed to provide him for one of those fights in London.
“Buatsi vs. Richards is a fight where the winner can stake a claim to be in those kinds of fights with Canelo.
“At the moment, they’re two domestic, world-class prospects.
“You need to go out there and be involved in a big fight like that at the O2 to start calling out a legend like Canelo Alvarez.
“He’s going to want a dance partner in the UK.”
CANELO ALVAREZ PLAN
If Canelo beats Bivol, the light-heavyweight division will likely get put on hold. Canelo could conceivably defend all four 168 belts against GGG.
Golovkin would have no problems getting sanctioned for an undisputed title shot as the unified holder at middleweight.
If a win over Golovkin happens again, Canelo would almost certainly head straight back up to 175. And what Hearn needs to work on is getting a Briton to hold a version of the light-heavyweight straps.
175
This scenario is imperative as Canelo is not in the business of fighting non-champions. Therefore, getting Buatsi or Richards in the ring with the winner of Artur Beterbiev vs. Joe Smith Jr. would have to happen around September.
Beterbiev and Smith agreed to fight this summer. Three versions of the 175 straps will be on the line.
Hearn is living in dreamland if he thinks Canelo won’t be going for the winner of that battle for December.
That would give him the chance to become undisputed in a second weight class and salvage a better 2022 than ending it with the non-title UK headlining whimper.
HEARN’s 2022
Canelo vs. Bivol [WBA 175 title]
Canelo vs. GGG III [168 undisputed defense]
Canelo vs. UK Fighter [175 title defense]
WBN’s 2022 for CANELO
Canelo vs. Bivol [WBA 175 title]
Canelo vs. GGG III [168 undisputed defense]
Canelo vs. Beterbiev or Smith Jr. [175 undisputed]
The views expressed in this article are the opinions of Phil Jay.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN us on Twitter @WorldBoxingNews.
