New opponent emerges for Canelo Alvarez amid breakdown in talks with Plant
- Joe Hewlett
- 14 July 2021
Gennadiy Golovkin could be in line for a third fight with the Mexican star after negotiations with Caleb Plant hit sticking point.
Gennadiy Golovkin could be in line to face Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez for a third time - if talks with Caleb Plant collapse.
Alvarez crushed Billy Joe Saunders inside eight rounds to add the WBO super middleweight title to his WBA and WBC belts.
Nashville's Plant, undefeated from 21 fights, is the only other champion at 168lbs and currently possesses the IBF version.
A potential showdown between the duo would crown the division's first undisputed champion at super middleweight - as long as it isn't a draw.
However, talks between the two camps have stalled, with money and the broadcasting rights being the two issues.
Alvarez will return on Mexican Independence weekend (September 18) regardless of the opponent. Should a battle with Plant fail to come into fruition then Golovkin is 'ready to step up' and fight the Mexican in a trilogy bout.
The pair have shared 24 epic rounds together in the ring. The first fight ended in controversial circumstances with it being scored a split-draw by judges.
Golovkin controlled the 2017 middleweight encounter, out-jabbing and out-moving his rival throughout the fight but was ultimately robbed.
Adalaide Byrd scored the contest 118-110, highlighting the issue boxing faces - incompetent people involved in the sport. The rematch, in 2018 following Alvarez's six-month drug ban, was also a questionable outcome with GGG on the receiving end of a majority decision defeat.
Alvarez's win inflicted the first loss of Golovkin's career. Since then, Alvarez signed an 11-fight deal with DAZN worth $365million - the richest deal in sport's history - only to split from Golden Boy and become a free agent after just three fights in 2020.
His wins came against Rocky Fielding, Daniel Jacobs and Sergey Kovalev and in the process, he unified the middleweight division and won the WBO strap at light heavyweight.
Since becoming a free agent, Alvarez has continued to fight on DAZN alongside Matchroom Boxing. He has beaten Callum Smith, Avni Yildirim and Saunders and has become a four-division world champion.
Meanwhile, Golovkin followed Alvarez by joining DAZN in 2019 on a six-fight, $100million contract and has won all three of his fights so far.
The Kazakh great knocked out Steve Rolls before edging out Sergiy Derevyanchenko for the IBF middleweight title. He then made his first defence against Kamil Szeremeta last year and stopped him in the seventh round.
Should Alvarez and Golovkin reignite their feud then it would more than likely need to be at 168 with the former reluctant to go back down and fight at middleweight.
However, there is only a possibility of it happening if Alvarez cannot secure a fight with Plant.
