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World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman indicates that Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will face the winner of the upcoming rematch between WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu and mandatory challenger Thabiso Mchunu.
At last month’s WBC convention in Mexico, Canelo made an official request – which the sanctioning body approved – to fight for the WBC cruiserweight title.
At the moment Canelo is the undisputed world champion at super middleweight, which has a weight limit of 168-pounds.
Canelo’s leap will be tremendous, as the cruiserweight limit is 200-pounds.
The Mexican fighter has captured world titles at 154, 160, 168 and 175-pounds.
It was believed that Canelo would fight Makabu for the cruiserweight belt on Cinco De Mayo weekend in May.
But, Mchunu would not step aside from his mandatory shot – so he will fight Makabu on January 29th at the Packard Music Hall in Warren, Ohio.
Promoter Don King, who will stage the Makabu-Mchunu event, expects Canelo to be ringside for the fight.
Sulaiman likes the idea of the rematch, because it will build the names of both fighters for a potential clash with Canelo in the United States.
“The winner of Makabu vs. Mchunu will go against against Canelo. There are many fights that are already in the pipeline and that is one of them. It is important to make Makabu and Mchunu known, known to the international boxing community at these levels. They are known in Africa and Russia, but we have to see them on a card and thus heat up a fight [with Canelo],” Sulaiman said.
“The WBC will always support Canelo, he is our Franchise Champion, which allows him to seek any type of challenge and not hindering him is a virtue with that designation. [As Franchise Champion] he has an open path to seek alternative paths and we are going to support him unconditionally.”