Four-weight world champion Canelo Alvarez is aiming to earn honours at a fifth weight after it was revealed yesterday that he will challenge WBC cruiserweight title holder Illunga Makabu.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman granted the request by Alvarez’s team at the governing body’s convention in Mexico City.
“The WBC has approved unanimously Canelo to fight for the WBC cruiserweight championship of the world,” Sulaiman said.
The news came as a surprise to many with the boxing world wondering what the next move for the widely recognised pound-for-pound king would be after recently becoming undisputed super-middleweight champion.
Canelo’s leap to cruiserweight will see him jump two weight divisions from 168lbs to the 200lb category. The 31-year-old Mexican superstar has held world titles at light-middleweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight. The first of his many championship successes came against Matthew Hatton 10 years ago.
After beating Caleb Plant just over 10 days ago Canelo revealed he planned to take a six-month break from boxing having fought four times in 11 months. Makabu v Canelo could very well take place next May, possibly on Cinco De Mayo weekend.
A win against the 34-year-old Makabu, who won his WBC title last year against Michael Cieslak, would not only cement Canelo’s status as one of Mexico’s greatest ever fighters but would place him among the sport’s all-time greats.
Main image: Ryan Hafey