The boxing world has hit a bit of a lull post Mayhem since Floyd Mayweather put on a clinic in a unanimous decision victory over Marcos Maidana in September.
But, some big news has emerged recently with the announcement that Canelo Alvarez has called off his December fight and Timothy Bradley has officially announced his next one.
Alvarez Out With Ankle Injury
Canelo Alvarez has officially called off his December 6 fight due to a persistent ankle injury that will keep him sidelined.
Alvarez’s next opponent hadn’t even been announced, but a nagging left ankle injury has caused Alvarez to call off the fight, which was rumored to be against former welterweight titleholder Joshua Clottey (38-4, 22 KOs).
Golden Boy Promotions made the announcement Monday much to the chagrin of Alvarez’s fans, coming just weeks after the Mexican superstar signed an exclusive, long-term contract with HBO.
Alvarez has apparently been plagued by the injury since his bout with Alfredo Angulo in March, and was even worse in his most recent fight vs. Erislandy Lara.
Canelo had just began his training for his December 6 fight, but his ankle started acting up during his routine six-mile run. The pain caused him to stop in the middle of his workout, ultimately making Alvarez realize he needed to rehab the ankle before stepping back into the ring.
“I just spoke to Canelo, and he said, ‘Look, my ankle has been bothering me since the Lara fight, way before the training camp started,’ and then he said, ‘I just have to get this taken care of. I’d rather do it now because 2015 is going to be huge for me,'” De La Hoya said in an interview with ESPN.
De La Hoya said the doctor recommended he stay off his ankle for about six weeks and go through physical therapy to strengthen it.
Now, it appears as if Canelo will take off the remainder of 2014 to heal his ankle and will schedule his next fight for Cinco de Mayo weekend in 2015.
That means the fight could turn into a super showdown with Miguel Cotto, who is also sitting out the remainder of 2014. The two have been rumored to be discussing a super fight for 2015, and it would seem perfect timing with both of them returning in May during one of the biggest Mexican fight weekends of the year.
De La Hoya confirmed that sentiment.
“Going right to a Cotto fight is a big possibility,” De La Hoya said. “I will be talking to Canelo and his management team in the next couple of days to see what they want to pursue. This is a minor setback. I am more than positive Canelo will have the opportunity to fight live on HBO, even if it’s not next. But I hear in Canelo’s voice the enthusiasm about fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend.”
Timothy Bradley Officially Announces Next Fight
It’s been quite a while since Timothy Bradley has been in the public eye. The former welterweight titleholder hasn’t been in the ring since his handy defeat at the hands of Manny Pacquiao in their April 12 rematch.
After suffering the first loss of his career, Bradley will return to the canvas against Argentinian heavy hitter Diego Chaves in a scheduled 12-round welterweight fight Dec. 13 (HBO) at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.
It’s been a long layoff for Bradley, but the fight announcement was officially made last week, where Bradley will look to rebound after the one-sided defeat to Pacquiao, who avenged his highly controversial loss in the pair’s first fight in 2012.
This will be a competitive bout, with both fighters coming off losses and hungry to get back on track.
“I’m excited to get back into the ring and showcase myself,” Bradley told ESPN.com on Thursday night. “Chaves is not that well known but the boxing fans know him. The boxing fans know that this guy can fight and that it won’t be a walk in the park for me. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I can’t wait.”
Chaves was disqualified in the ninth round of his most recent bout, a highly competitive fight against former lightweight titlist Brandon Rios.
Both fighters have something to prove as they look to get back to title bouts in the near future.
Bradley Jr. has won world titles in two weight classes and has shown a willingness to fight the best of the best in boxing. A win over Chaves could set him up for a major fight in 2015.
Either way, Bradley appears ready to move on from his first loss and get back to what’s made him so successful over the past decade.
“I went 24 rounds with Manny Pacquiao, and he never really hurt me. I took Ruslan Provodnikov’s best shots [in a decision win], I took Manny Pacquiao’s best shots, and I took [Juan Manuel] Marquez’s best shots and beat him, too. I know I can take Diego Chaves’ best shots. I know I can hang with the best of them,” Bradley told ESPN.
