By: Hans Themistode
Since officially opting against accepting Al Haymon and Premier Boxing Champions’ two-fight offer, promoter Eddie Hearn has become incredulous about the ongoing narrative surrounding Alvarez’s decision.
From the moment the Mexican star wrapped the final 168-pound title around his waist following his 11th round stoppage victory over Caleb Plant in November of 2021, Alvarez was bombarded with numerous offers.
Initially, Haymon dangled a two-fight deal in the face of Alvarez. Amongst the names that were mentioned on said deal, was a 168-pound showdown against current WBC middleweight champion, Jermall Charlo.
Ultimately, Alvarez found Hearn’s proposal more enticing. In just a few short hours, on May 7th, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Alvarez will take on the first name as part of his three-fight agreement with Hearn when he faces off against WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol.
Soon after Alvarez inked his name on the dotted line, fans of Charlo have fulminated over the Mexican star’s choice. As his staunch supporters continue to publicly back their man as a more difficult fighter to deal with as opposed to Bivol, Hearn believes everyone has lost their mind.
“How can you say that Charlo is a tougher fight than Bivol at 175 pounds?” Said Hearn to a group of reporters. “Who has Charlo ever beat?”
The normally truculent knockout artist hailing from Houston, Texas, has continually called for a showdown against Alvarez. He continued his tradition following his unanimous decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel in June of 2021.
In an effort to lure his man into the ring, Charlo, who has never competed over 160 pounds, openly revealed that he would be more than willing to acquiesce to Alvarez’s weight demands by fighting as a full-fledged super middleweight.
Ultimately, following Alvarez’s decision to go in another direction, team Charlo pursued a middleweight showdown against highly ranked contender, Jaime Munguia. Although both fighters agreed to the financial portion of their deal, network disagreements pushed their bout to the wayside.
Despite the constant change in opponents, Charlo has settled on a new foe. On June 18th, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, Charlo will take on fringe contender Maciej Sulecki.
Upon hearing the news, Hearn becomes bemused by Charlo’s opponent selection. In the end, however, Hearn is unwilling to place the blame completely at Charlo’s feet for what he believes is a subpar foe. Instead, the longtime promoter looks directly at Premier Boxing Champions for what he perceives is myopic matchmaking.
“Sulecki? I don’t blame Charlo because he’s fighting a guy he’s not even motivated to fight. Charlo is an outstanding fighter but you’re not going to see that unless he steps up and fights a real fight. Put him in with (Caleb) Plant, put him in with (David) Benavidez.”
