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Mike CoppingerESPN
LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez stood on the scales Friday outside T-Mobile Arena decked out in a wave of red, white and green flags as Mariachi took off in full force.
For the first time in three years, Alvarez is set to compete in Las Vegas this weekend at Cinco de Mayo – the date and location usually reserved for boxing’s top superstar.
When Canelo defeated Daniel Jacobs here in May 2019, he retained his 160-pound championship by unanimous decision. Three years later, he weighed 174.4 pounds, the second heaviest of his career, before challenging for the light heavyweight title on Saturday against Russia’s Dmitry Bevol (8pm EST, DAZN Show).
Bivol, ESPN’s second lightweight champ, weighed 174.6 pounds.
“My best weight is 168…but I feel really good at 175 too,” said ESPN’s No. 1 middleweight, Alvarez. “I feel powerful.”
The ceremonial weigh-in on Friday afternoon was preceded by an official weigh-in this morning behind closed doors.
Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 KOs) will attempt to become the two-time Light Heavyweight Champion after his November 2019 KO win over Sergei Kovalev at 175 lbs. After that match, Alvarez relinquished his light heavyweight title to carry £168.
This time around, the 31-year-old Alvarez may hold the belt for a while. But if he beats Bevol, 31, his next fight is already set at 168 pounds: defending the undisputed super middleweight championship against Gennady Golovkin.
Golovkin and Alvarez have met twice already at £160 – the 2017 tie and the 2018 majority win for Alvarez.
Canelo, ESPN’s number one boxer, has expressed an interest in fighting for the undisputed light heavyweight championship in 2023. A fight with the three belts unification winner on June 18 between Artur Petterbiev and Joe Smith will lead to victory. a job.
Alvarez should first come back to back Bevol (19-0, 11 KOs), however, and he’s a 5-1 favorite to do so, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
“I think I have enough experience and enough strength, speed and boxing quality to fight against the best,” Bevol said. “…I don’t think I was avoided. It’s probably just not an interesting fight to fight because I’m not known yet. I know it worked. Good. Ok. No problem. But now I’m in the fight.”
