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Boxing
Canelo Alvarez's future British opponents and possible UK venues
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Canelo Alvarez made a successful first foray outside of North America this weekend as he defeated William Scull at the latest Riyadh Season event in Saudi Arabia.
The Mexican superstar marked Cinco de Mayo with another victory, becoming a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion in the process with his triumph.
Furthermore however, the success of his first stint away from his home continent has opened the door for the modern-day legend to head across the Atlantic again.
Canelo's willingness will add weight to recent comments he dreams of a fight in the United Kingdom - and perhaps another scalp for the 'Brit Basher' in the process.
The Mexican will have plenty of suitors, and many venues would relish the chance to host him atop a blockbuster card. Here's who he could face and where if he does come.
Chris Eubank Jr – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Ian Walton / Matchroom Boxing
Prior to the slugfest between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr , His Excellency Turki Alalshikh stated that the winner of the bout would be line to face Canelo.
On the face of it, it appears more likely that Eubank Jr would get any call to face Alvarez after his win last Saturday night.
The victorious Eubank Jr would be more likely to face the Mexican than his rival Benn; Next Gen having already fought at super middleweight, whilst his vanquished foe is a career welterweight.
However, Ben Shalom, the head of Boxxer and Eubank's promoter, has claimed in the past that an agreement between the two camps could not be reached.
Instead, Shalom believes a Eubank Jr-Canelo meeting will be arranged for February next year after a September rematch between Benn and Eubank.
That lines up with Canelo’s plans to face Terence Crawford later this year, which would be the second bout of his four-fight deal with Alalshikh.
Given the 67,000 people that came to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend for the Benn-Eubank match, this venue would surely be in the running for a potential Canelo fight.
Liam Smith - Anfield
PA
Liam Smith’s career is at a crossroads following the first back-to-back defeats of his career.
After losing his second meeting with Chris Eubank Jr, Beefy spent over 19 months out on the sidelines.
His comeback on the undercard of Eubank Jr vs Benn was underwhelming, with the experienced fighter outclassed by rising talent Aaron McKenna.
Now 36, world-title ambitions for Beefy seem quite far-fetched. His only reign as a world champion, having held the WBO super welterweight title, was ended by Canelo in 2016.
The chance to get revenge in a farewell bout could represent a perfect goodbye for Smith, especially if the venue is in his city.
Smith, who dreams of headlining a card at the home of his beloved Liverpool, may have enough pulling power to stage a fight at Anfield with a rematch against one of the sport’s biggest names.
- Read more: Facing Canelo Alvarez: Callum Smith, Dave Coldwell and Matthew Hatton share their experiences
Callum Simpson – Oakwell Stadium
Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images
Outside of veterans, there are few natural opponents for Canelo in the UK. As such, the Mexican may have to face an up-and-coming prospect in order to secure a dream bout in Britain.
At super middleweight, Callum Simpson leads the way amongst British fighters. Unbeaten at 28 years of age, the Yorkshire-native is already targeting a fight with the face of boxing.
And Simpson knows exactly where he would have the bout, wanting the home advantage of Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium.
Having sold out a 7,000-capacity stand in his first fight at the home of his beloved Barnsley, Simpson is on track to battle for the EBU European super middleweight title in front of 15,000 at Oakwell this June.
A 15,000-strong crowd might be impressive within the context of regular boxing, but the small potential live gate makes a fight for Canelo in Barnsley very much a long shot.
Hamzah Sheeraz – Wembley Stadium
Of course, when fighters dream of big boxing nights in the UK, they most likely picture the arch of Wembley looming over the ring.
Any of the aforementioned suitors for a Canelo fight would likely jump at the chance to fight the Mexican at Wembley.
Both Liam Smith and Callum Simpson bring healthy numbers of supporters on their travels, whilst Chris Eubank Jr has proven he can attract a crowd when he headlines a card.
His Excellency Turki Alalshikh will probably be the key decision maker for any bout involving Canelo, and as such, he might take the opportunity to push one of his favourite fighters.
He has taken a liking to Briton Hamzah Sheeraz, giving the Londoner a shot at the WBC middleweight title on the Last Crescendo card back in February.
After a controversial draw with Carlos Adames, Sheeraz has confirmed that he will move up to super middleweight – putting him in the same division as Canelo. Could a future bout against the Mexican be on the cards?
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