Chris Eubank Junior's chances of being selected by Canelo Alvarez for his fight in September are good because Dana White has chosen to hold one of his UFC events on September 14, Mexican Independence Day weekend.
London Asking for Canelo and Eubank Jr.?
Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KOs) may choose to wait a few weeks and fight Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) in England in September. That's a fight that would bring in a lot of fans. Played in London, UK. It's probably not a Wembley Stadium-level fight, but it sells more tickets in the stadium.
Another opponent Canelo is considering for his next fight is Edgar Berlanga, who is his WBA partner, and it would make sense to fight him if possible in the US during the holiday on September 14. Berlanga would be a bad choice for Canelo for other reasons.
The fans don't consider the 27-year-old top-ranked Berlanga worthy of a world title shot. They want to see him beat at least one top-level opponent before getting a title shot, and he hasn't.
Berlanga: A Less Attractive Option
“If you don't have the Mexican Independence Day option here, you're going to London,” Teddy Atlas said on Probox TV about Canelo Alvarez's possible Chris Eubank Jr. fight. next September in London, England. “If you want a big rivalry with Puerto Rican and Mexican fans, go with them [Edgar] Berlanga.”
Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) is a 34-year-old who has never fought, and is likely to face Canelo in September, but it doesn't matter if he's been active over the last 12 months. He's not on the same level as Canelo talent-wise, and it's going to be a mismatch even if it is.
“With the UFC consolidating on Mexican Independence Day weekend, it could take Canelo out of Las Vegas,” said boxing expert Paulie Malignaggi. “In that case, it might push the Berlanga war.”
Berlanga's New York fans won't be happy not to get the fight, but then again, he doesn't measure up to the fight, and it wouldn't be good for Canelo to face the brunt of picking him.
Although Canelo is busy fighting Eubank Jr, maybe Berlanga's promoter Eddie Hearn can fit a good guy to give him some credibility, like Caleb Plant, Jaime Munguia, David Benavidez, Christian Mbilli or David Morrell Jr.
“When you fight in the United States, Berlanga is a very strong opponent. He is very popular,” said Malignaggi. “Eubank doesn't have a lot of fame in the U.S. If you go to Europe, you fight Eubank in England. I saw the possibility of that opening, and I saw where he was going with this. “
There are few things he can do about the Canelo fight in September unless he wants to put other fighters in the 160-lb weight class. Given that Eubank Jr. he would be moving up from 160, Canelo could look at other fights at that weight, and the fans wouldn't complain.
“England would like to have Canelo Alvarez. For me, those boxing fans are the best in the world,” said Malignaggi. “Even if he was fighting a guy from his hometown, it's obvious that they would fight for Eubank, but they would be lucky and afraid that one of the boxing stars would choose a place to fight.”
London would be a great place for Canelo to fight, and there would be a lot of buzz about the event if it was played there. It is clear that Eubank Jr. He's in a bad shape in his career, but fans still want to see him fight Canelo.
Dana White's Impact on Canelo's Schedule
“Dana White doesn't live alone. Canelo puts him down. If you look at the UFC schedule, they do that again in September [for Mexican Independence Day], you could see Canelo taking his act on his way to England, where it was clear he would be welcomed with open arms. “The British love boxing and their stars,” said Malignaggi.
Canelo will have to get used to doing his events on Mexican holidays in the US to take advantage of the fans who would be singing. If Canelo was fighting someone as popular as David Benavidez, he wouldn't have to give up his date in September, but if he were to fight Berlanga, who is only popular in certain parts of New York City, it wouldn't work.
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