Unified super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is enjoying life as a promotional free agent after breaking his long-time association with Golden Boy Promotions last year.
Mexican star Canelo parted ways with promoter Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy outfit in 2020 after filing a lawsuit and then reaching an agreement to go in their separate directions, severing a 10-fight deal with DAZN in the process. Canelo now boxes on DAZN on a fight-by-fight basis.
The WBA ‘Super’ and WBC champion has since fought on two Matchroom Boxing USA shows with a final one-fight obligation for Eddie Hearn’s promotional powerhouse taking place against WBO king Billy Joe Saunders in Arlington, Texas, on May 8.
Canelo and Golden Boy grew apart, and now the Pound-for-pound No.1 appreciates having a greater control over his career.
“They didn’t manipulate me, but they wanted to gamble different things on me. They said one thing and it was another, I realized that three or four years ago,” Canelo told Telemundo.
“Before signing with DAZN, there were already problems with them. I disagreed with a lot of things that they did. We did a lot of good things, too. We did a lot of fights together and things happen for a reason. God puts each person in his position.
“Everything is good [guiding your own career]. You are in control of everything, you are not under the pressure that someone is manipulating your career or mismanaging your money. Before, a lot of things happened that I don’t want to talk about. But right now, as a free agent, it’s incredible.”