Canelo is on the first of a two-fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing.
WBC and WBA super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) is a day away from his mandatory title defense against Avni Yildirim, his first of a two-fight agreement with Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn. Assuming he wins as expected and comes away unscathed, his second fight will come in a unification with WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs).
Canelo, of course, had a high-profile breakup with Golden Boy Promotions last year as he remained sidelined and without an opponent to face. His lawsuit against GBP, Oscar De La Hoya, and DAZN led to him getting released from his Golden Boy contract and as a result his $365 million mega-deal with DAZN went up in smoke. Funnily enough, Canelo will be on DAZN for the second fight in a row, but on much more favorable terms for both parties.
Alvarez is one of the few in boxing who has the ability to control his career as he sees fit, and he told media earlier this week that he wants to make the short-term agreements his standard and not sign any long-term contracts as is so often the standard in the industry.
“I would love to continue working in this way, to discuss one or two fights [at a time]. I really like working with [Hearn] because he is someone who cares about details. The maturity and experience I have is what helps me carry out my career as best as possible … And if you ask me about retirement, if I can, I can spend many more years in boxing, but if I wanted to, I think I would fight until the age of 37 or so… and God willing I would then retire to enjoy what I have achieved,” Canelo said (via BoxingScene).
Alvarez vs. Yildirim takes place at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, FL on February 27th. Bloody Elbow will have live coverage of the main event, with the main card starting at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT. You can also purchase this card as a PPV for $49.99 on traditional cable/satellite and get a redeemable two-month DAZN subscription.