When talking about his future plans, Andrade mentioned several top contenders and division champions as potential targets.

“I think the fighters that have to fight, the fights that have to happen, are like, you know, me again, Charlo, me, Berlanga, me, Mbilli, me, Plant,” Andrade told YSM Sports Media. “These are all great fights that could happen, and we’re all in the same age group and the same era of boxing, so I thought, why not do it?”

Plant, Berlanga and Mbilli are looking for a title shot, while a fight between Andrade and Jermall Charlo never materialized during their championship years.

Andrade (32-1, 19 KO) has not fought since a sixth-round loss to David Benavidez in November 2023 and will return after a nearly three-year break. The 38-year-old former champion hasn’t recorded any high-profile victories in recent years and has yet to announce an opponent for his July 24 return at Mohegan Sun Arena.

“I believe 68 is open,” Andrade said. “Boxing needs me back in the ring because there are great fights ahead of us.”

The return comes after a hard period for Andrade. He hasn’t fought since a sixth-round loss to David Benavidez in November 2023. Before that loss, his last victory was in January 2023 against Demond Nicholson.

Although Andrade spent years fighting names like Canelo Alvarez, Gennadiy Golovkin and the Charlo brothers, none of those fights came to fruition during the prime years of his career as a 154- and 160-pound champion.

Andrade is now 38 years elderly and returning after a long break. He is trying to rebuild his position in a division that includes WBC champion Christian Mbilli, former titleholder Caleb Plant and challenger Edgar Berlanga.

Andrade immediately focuses on ending his inactivity and preparing for fights that he believes should have happened years ago.

“My goal is to become world champion in three divisions: 154, 160 and then 168,” Andrade said.

Canelo Alvarez no longer holds the super middleweight world title, but that doesn’t stop many of his 168-pound rivals from targeting him for a fight.

Alvarez lost for the first time at super middleweight when he was overtaken by Terence Crawford last yearbut the 35-year-old will have the opportunity to reclaim the WBC belt upon his return in September when he fights recent champion Christian Mbilli.

A victory will see Canelo enter the next era of the super middleweight division as a man with a target on his back, as a host of fresh operators jostle for a lucrative take on the four-division world champion.

One of those fighters is Diego Pacheco of California, who was ready to fight for the WBO super middleweight title against Hamzah Sheeraz until the latter withdrew his offers and did not allow Sheeraz to fight Al Begic, who was stopped within two rounds by the Briton.

In an interview with ESNEWSPacheco cited his three-man hit list, which included both Canelo and Sheeraz, as well as WBA super middleweight titleholder Jaime Munguia.

“[Jaime] Munguia, [Hamzah] Sheeraz and Canelo, [that is who I want]. I think me and Munguia will go the distance, I will stop Hamzah Sheeraz, and me and Canelo will also go the distance, but I will definitely win all three.

Pacheco recently extended his contract with Matchroom Boxing and hopes to maintain his unbeaten record of 25 fights when he appears on home turf against Immanuwel Aleem on the Cruz-Bell card on Saturday, July 18.

“I think people are so unaware that they don’t even understand that for me, just like with Zuffa, they have one lane, one lane only. How wouldn’t that facilitate pristine up the boxing?” Shakur told the Daily Mail. “It would be very helpful for the sport of boxing.”

Shakur also criticized the current landscape, which includes WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO champions.

“If we have four different belt organizations, the fans will complain that this champion is not fighting this champion, this champion is not fighting, and this is mandatory. It becomes a whole clown show,” Shakur said.

The WBO welterweight champion’s comments are noteworthy because his own path to the 140-pound title was governed by the current system.

After moving up from lightweight, Shakur challenged Teofimo Lopez for the WBO title without first fighting many of the division’s top contenders. A single-belt structure built around the rankings would likely require fighters to advance through a contender’s ladder before receiving a title shot.

If boxing were to adopt a true one-belt model, Shakur could find himself in a position to earn a championship shot against the likes of Ernesto Mercado, Andy Hiraoka, Gary Antuanne Russell, Alberto Puello, Dalton Smith and Oscar Duarte.

Each one presents a different challenge. Mercado has become one of the hardest hitters in the division while also displaying impressive hand speed. Hiraoka provides size and power. Russell is considered one of the most aggressive pressure fighters in the division. Smith, Puello and Duarte have established themselves as legitimate contenders.

The same problem would exist if Shakur returned to lightweight. Floyd Schofield, Gervonta Davis, Andy Cruz, Raymond Muratalla and William Zepeda would likely be in the title race.

Zepeda’s pressure caused hard moments in his fight against Shakur last year, raising questions about how the single-belt system will affect fighters who currently have multiple paths to a championship shot.

Still, Stevenson remains confident that the single-lane design will improve boxing.

“I think everyone will fight each other like this,” Shakur said.

The question is whether Stevenson would face a deeper and more unsafe path in the system he supports than the one that helped him win the 135- and 140-pound titles.