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Who will Canelo Alvarez face next?

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AROUND There are two months left until Canelo Alvarez returns to the ring in one of his favorite months. Canelo has become synonymous with September over the years, a month that is almost exclusively reserved for boxing’s biggest star and is the date of Mexican Independence Day – when all Mexicans can celebrate their heritage by watching their hero destroy a weaker opponent (in most cases).

But this year, there seems to be a problem with choosing the right opponent. Canelo has so much power in boxing that choosing who he wants to fight is like a childhood game of duck, duck, goose. It doesn’t matter if he chooses the slowest or fastest person in the circle, most will be cheering him on as he takes his victory lap.

A few years ago, Canelo played the game like he wanted a challenge. He chose the toughest opponent available and risked the possibility of escaping reality.

He became the undisputed 168-pound heavyweight, defeating previously undefeated and highly rated opponents like Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant. Canelo’s Hall of Fame legacy was now complete. This achievement, combined with all the other world titles he had won, etched his name alongside the great Mexican fighters who came before him.

Canelo also deserves credit for his activity. Typically, a cash cow fights once a year. However, Canelo has fought at least twice a year since his debut in 2005, apart from 2020 during the COVID crisis, when he fought once.

But the decision to fight Dmitry Bivol in May 2022 for the WBA delicate heavyweight title was like picking on a kid who was two years older in school. He’s too large and knows more than you, which is why Canelo was defeated by Bivol in dominant fashion.

Dmitry Bivol attacks Saul “Camelo” Alvarez at the T-Mobile Arena on May 7, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

But as of September 2022, the Mexican superstar is seemingly staying away from the real contenders. The ones you’re not sure you can beat. The ones who will chase you until you sit back down.

Gennady Golovkin is long past the peak of his form in the trilogy with Canelo, so the legendary Kazakh could have trouble playing “duck, duck, goose”, let alone fighting the strongest rival.

John Ryder earned a mandatory shot at Canelo in May 2023. However, the event was billed as a hopeful homecoming, not a stern world title defense. Ryder was brave and gave it his all, but Canelo was not seen as a threat before or during the fight.

Jermell Charlo moved up two weight classes in a fight that looked decent on paper. However, the “smaller” Charlo showed his true colors by trying to last 12 rounds rather than trying to win.

Munguia, in fairness, did indeed dethrone his idyllic compatriot and beat Ryder more convincingly than Canelo, earning him a shot at the top spot. But then again, Munguia was always going to be an unlikely winner.

The problem with Canelo’s game of duck, duck, goose is that he’s running out of average opponents to choose from. David Benavidez and David Morrell, Canelo’s two most worthy opponents, can’t even sit in the circle. They’re somewhere else on the playground, looking for ways to get an opening.

Other names linked to Canelo include Edgar Berlanga and Jermall Charlo. Berlanga is hungry but raw, while Charlo is talented but incredibly inactive.

Meanwhile, Chris Eubank Jr. has emerged as a tardy favourite to fight Canelo. Eubank would be a significant underdog against Canelo. Still, from a commercial perspective, it makes sense. Whether you like him or not, Eubank is a large name in the UK. So Canelo-Eubank could attract a bigger audience in England, especially on the off chance that it happens on British soil.

In miniature, Canelo, as the biggest moneymaker in boxing, will ultimately choose who he fights next, whether the fans agree with that decision or not.

The only man who could have an impact is His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh. Turki has openly stated that he wants to make Canelo vs. Terence Crawford a fight that few thought would ever happen. But if Crawford defeats Israil Madrimov on August 3rd to win the 154-pound world title, a fantasy fight could be getting closer.

Moreover, given the astronomical sums at stake in Saudi Arabia, there may be enough financial incentive to encourage Canelo to take on more risk at this later stage of his career. The four-division world champion has previously stated that he would need between $150 million and $200 million to fight Benavidez.

Well, Tyson Fury has finally agreed to face Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight title, so anything is possible now.

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Boxing

Tyson’s conqueror, Danny Williams, was “never considered” for Morrison

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Kenzie Morrison Danny Williams

World Boxing News has learned that Danny Williams was never considered for a fight against Tommy Morrison’s son Kenzie on November 9.

WBN has learned from a source that Williams was scheduled to face Morrison next month when he returns to action at Firelake Arena in Shawnee. However, promoter Tony Holden confirmed what WBN initially reported, namely that Williams had been offered for the fight.

BoxRec also briefly placed Williams within Morrison’s record on November 9, before removing the former British champion. Williams famously knocked out Mike Tyson in 2004, but has since lived off his victory despite losing his British license more than a decade ago.

Holden, who represents Morrison and is looking for an opponent for the competition in three weeks, explained the situation exclusively to WBN.

“I never confirmed William’s story and I never considered him,” Holden said. “I said no when a local promoter suggested it.”

Williams, 51, last fought in August 202, losing for the 33rd time in his career. With 88 professional fights under his belt, Williams seems unable to turn down a payday despite his advanced age.

Morrison, a power puncher who has stopped 19 of his 21 wins, will look for his next conquest elsewhere. The fight with Mike Balogun remains on the table for 2025 after it was postponed from its original October date.

Balogun, who knocked out Kenzi’s brother Trey in the first round, claimed Morrison was pulled from the fight to spare him the loss.

Holden denies this view.

“Even though this post isn’t up to my standards, I’m going to write it anyway. Mike Balogun falsely claimed that I pulled Kenzie Morrison out of the fight because I was afraid he would lose. Please allow me to correct you, Mr. Balogun,” he stated.

“The decision was not made by Kenzie. Let’s raise the stakes and make it fascinating. If you emerge victorious this month, Kenzie will fight in November.

“We may decide this early next year. If your confidence remains unshaken, we can place a significant bet. Watch Kenzie take revenge on her brother and end your career.

Balogun, a former San Francisco 49ers linebacker, responded to Holden by increasing his salary for a potential collision next year.

“No matter how fair and honorable your decision was, just remember that ‘yesterday’s price is not today’s price,’” said the 2010 undrafted pick.

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Andrew Moloney is confident that if given the chance, he would have beaten Phumelele Cafu and Kosei Tanaka

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Andrew Moloney (left) attacks Pedro Guevara – photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank

Few people were more disappointed than Andrew Moloney when Kosei Tanaka lost his WBO super flyweight belt to Phumelele Cafu at the Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan on Monday night.

The 33-year-old Australian veteran was hoping to get a shot at beating Tanaka in the lucrative Japanese market.

Those dreams were dashed when South Africa’s Cafu delivered the performance of his life, knocking out Tanaka in the fifth round and finishing the fight strongly, beating the four-weight world champion by split decision.

“The plan was to target the WBO and really chase the Tanaka fight, but it all fell apart on Monday night,” Moloney (26-4-1NC, 16 KO) told The Ring. “I think the WBO is probably still the direction we go, but I’m not sure if they have a rematch clause or if Tanaka will take it. But after watching the fight yesterday, I would be really confident that I could fight one of these guys and win. We would like to follow this path.

“I would love to fight Tanaka in Japan as a four-division world champion. He’s definitely someone I’ve looked up to and wanted to fight for a long time.

“Last night was a little hard to watch. The way he performed, I’m more confident than ever that I have what it takes to beat Tanaka.

I assume there will be a rematch and I hope that Tanaka will regain the belt and I will be able to return to the ring and climb the rankings, and maybe this fight will still happen.

Tanaka entered Moloney’s orbit four years ago when he debuted at 115 pounds. Earlier this year, it looked like they were also on a collision course, with Moloney being number one in the WBO rankings. However, when an offer was made for the vacant IBF lightweight title fight between Vasily Lomachenko and George Kambosos Jr. in May in Perth, Western Australia, Moloney felt he couldn’t turn her down.

This decision ended in disaster. Moloney faced Carlos Cuadras, who withdrew from the fight with a ruptured Achilles tendon and was replaced by Pedro Guevara. Moloney entered the fight with a torn bicep and was largely reduced to boxing with one hand, which circumscribed his punching power.

Still, Moloney felt he did more than enough to win, and was shocked when Guevara was declared the winner by split decision. He was so disappointed that he announced immediately after the fight that he was leaving the ring, but a few days later he withdrew these comments.

It was a breakthrough moment in his career.

“Looking back, it’s a wonderful thing, but watching the Tanaka-Cafu fight made me think that maybe I would do a lot of things if I could turn back time a little bit,” Moloney explained.

“Before my last fight, I was number one in the WBO rankings and I rejected the option of waiting to fight Tanaka. But the opportunity arose to fight Guevara in Australia for the interim WBC title on a major card, and to be candid, I kind of regretted that the Tanaka fight was hanging in the balance, but ultimately we decided to stay busy and take the opportunity to fight in Australia.

“Also, the injury before the fight was another thing I thought about: will I undergo surgery, keep the top spot and wait for Tanaka, but I made the decision to go ahead with the fight with Guevara. Looking back now, maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do. And looking at the way Tanaka fought last night, I thought maybe I should have waited. I’m sure I could beat Tanaka and take the belt away from him.

“So I take some consolation, but unfortunately you can’t turn back time.”

It’s been a frustrating year for Moloney, but he’s still hitting the gym and his team is working to get him another fight. The window of opportunity to box again this year is closing quickly, but he still hopes to return to the ring in December, most likely in his native Australia.

“I really hope so,” he said. “That’s what I’ve been working on. I have been training strenuous at the gym for some time, quite a few months. I hope to return before the end of the year.

“At this stage it will probably be December. I’m trying to block something, but so far no luck. I’m still training away as if the fight was to take place in December, the team is currently working on it and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be able to finish it.

“I just hope we can get out before the end of the year, get back into the winner’s circle and start climbing the rankings again.”

Moloney, who fought at bantamweight for the first three years of his professional career before dropping down to super flyweight, surprisingly, said he would even consider moving up to another weight class given the right opportunity.

“It’s a tough time in the super flyweight division,” said Moloney, the eighth challenger to The Ring’s 115-pound title. “There’s a lot going on and it’s always strenuous to plan which route to take because everything changes so quickly. I’d pick Bam Rodriguez to beat Guevara, then there’s talk of a rematch between Kazuto Ioka and Fernando Martinez on Up-to-date Year’s Eve. And then there’s talk of Bama, if they win, fighting the winner of that game in unification. The WBO seems to me the fastest way to win the title, so that’s the path we will follow.

“We have also rejected for some time the idea of ​​moving up to flyweight and getting crack there. There’s also some engaging scene going on there right now, but it’s still uncertain. I’d probably feel a little better at super flyweight, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens with Cafu and Tanaka, but like I said, I’d feel comfortable and confident against either of them, so hopefully he can make it it will happen sooner rather than later.”

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Doubts that fuel 19-year-old Benjamin Johnson

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Despite an impressive amateur resume, welterweight Benjamin Johnson of Springdale, Maryland, enters the professional ring with a shoulder injury.

Johnson will face Kevin Pantoja in a four-round fight at Rosecroft Raceway in Fort Washington, Maryland, promoted by his trainer Lamont Roach Snr’s NoXcuses Promotions. The fight will be broadcast on Saturday on ProBox TV.

Johnson, 1-0 (1 KO), spent just 2:23 in the ring in his professional debut, displaying the quick, aggressive hands that won him multiple national titles. However, 19-year-old Johnson feels an advantage, believing he is being overlooked by his NoXcuses Boxing Gym teammates.

Pantoja, 1-1, 27, has never stopped being a professional – Johnson aims to change that.

“People underestimate me,” Johnson said. “It’s been like that since I was an amateur.”

He added that this underestimation increases his motivation in the gym. Johnson is determined to prove his worth not only to himself, but also to those who doubt him or, worse, don’t recognize him. “I never felt like I was recognized as that guy, so I feel like I’m underappreciated,” Johnson said of his amateur and now professional career.

Johnson sees the fight as a key step in his career, compared to feared forward David Benavidez by some teammates and touted by others as one of the most ready-to-fight prospects in the country.

“I train as much as I can,” Johnson said. “It’s about making a statement. The way you win shows people what you’re capable of, and I’m ready to show my best.

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