Should an undisputed super-middleweight title clash against Caleb Plant not take place in September, Mexican star Canelo Alvarez might be tempted to test the power of hammer-fisted WBC and IBF 175lbs champion Artur Beterbiev, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
WBC, WBA Super and WBO champion Canelo had hoped to unify the 168lbs belts against IBF title holder Plant in September, but negotiations have dragged in recent weeks.
Canelo (56-1-2, 38 KOs) previously stepped up to light-heavyweight to KO WBO champion Sergey Kovalev in 11 rounds in November 2019 and may opt to make that leap again should the Plant bout fall through. An encounter with WBA champion Dmitry Bivol would seem more viable due to his association with Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing organisation, but the 36-year-old Beterbiev (16-0, 16 KOs) is currently rated the standout performer at 175lbs and holds appeal for Canelo.
“Dmitry Bivol is probably the easiest fight to make because he works with us,” Hearn told DAZN. “But Artur Beterbiev, Canelo talks about that. He knows how hard Beterbiev punches and Canelo’s a competitor.
“Now you tell him that’s not the fight to take. You want to take it? You tell him that’s a dangerous fight? He’ll want to do it.
“It’s very, very risky moving up to 175. Particularly Bivol; he’s in his prime right now and still young. Beterbiev is aging but still in his prime. Kovalev [was] arguably [at] the back end of his career, but you could do it.”