Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford might not face each other in the ring after all. The highly-discussed bout between the two champions has hit a snag as talks have restarted for Alvarez to fight Chris Eubank Jr instead.
For the past year, boxing fans have been eager to see Alvarez and Crawford square off. Crawford even announced he'd move up to 168lbs for the chance to fight Alvarez. As both fighters looked for their next opponents, hopes for the matchup grew stronger.
But now, it seems Alvarez might have other plans. Sky Sports reports that talks have resumed for a fight between Alvarez and Chris Eubank Jr.
Ben Shalom, Eubank Jr's promoter, shared his thoughts on the potential matchup:
"For me the two fights for me are Canelo and Conor Benn. We've already started small conversations around the Canelo fight. Obviously that [Canelo fight] was close last time. I believe that's a fight that interests Canelo. You can imagine the press conference in the UK and the US, it would be absolutely huge."
Shalom believes Alvarez needs both dance partners and stars. He points out that Alvarez's recent opponents haven't been the biggest names in boxing, while Eubank Jr is a well-known figure in the sport.
"I think Canelo needs dance partners but he also needs stars. I don't think his last couple of opponents have been the biggest stars and Chris Eubank Jr's certainly a big star. If he's ever going to fight in the UK, that's the fight and that would sell out Wembley Stadium. That's No 1 on the list for me."
Eubank Jr himself seems confident about the possibility of facing Alvarez:
"That fight can absolutely happen within the next year. He doesn't have the pool of fighters available – there aren't names left that fight fans want to see."
Eubank Jr mentions other potential opponents for Alvarez, like David Benavidez, Artur Beterbiev, and Dmitry Bivol. However, he notes that Beterbiev and Bivol compete in different weight classes.
The British boxer also thinks the build-up to an Alvarez fight would be entertaining:
"Me and Canelo would be a hell of a build-up. Two very different personalities, very different background. That would be a lot of fun. It will be a lot of fun."
As for Crawford, he might not be left without options. Another current world champion has expressed interest in facing him if the Alvarez fight doesn't happen.
The boxing world will have to wait and see how these negotiations play out. Will Alvarez face Eubank Jr, or will the Crawford fight still come together? Only time will tell.
