Chris Eubank Jr. is likely to be picked to face Canelo Alvarez in a September bout because Dana White chose to hold one of his UFC events on September 14th, which is Mexican Independence Day weekend.
Will London call 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 September in the UK. This fight would draw a lot of fans. The fight would take place in London, England. It probably wouldn't be a Wembley Stadium-level fight, but it would sell a lot of arena tickets.
The other opponent Canelo is considering for his next fight is Edgar Berlanga, who is his WBA mandatory opponent, and it would only make sense for him to fight him if the fight could be made in the United States over the national holiday on September 14. Berlanga would be a bad choice for Canelo for other reasons.
Fans don't believe the highly ranked 27-year-old Berlanga is qualified to fight for a world title. They would like to see Berlanga beat at least one top-class opponent before taking a title shot, and he hasn't done that.
Berlanga: A less attractive option
“If you don't have the Mexican Independence Day option here, go to London,” Teddy Atlas told Probox TV about Canelo Alvarez potentially fighting Chris Eubank Jr. in September in London, England. “If you want a great rivalry between the Puerto Rican and Mexican fans, [Edgar] “Berlanga”
The 34-year-old Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) hasn't fought in a year and will be ring rusty when he faces Canelo in September, but it wouldn't matter if he had been active in the past 12 months. He's not on the same level as Canelo talent-wise and would be an underdog either way.
“That, combined with the UFC being held over Mexican Independence Day weekend, could force Canelo out of Las Vegas,” boxing expert Paulie Malignaggi said, “which could push the Berlanga fight away.”
Berlanga’s New York fans will be unhappy that he’s not in the fight, but then again, he doesn’t think highly of the fight and it wouldn’t be nice for Canelo to deal with the backlash for picking him.
While Canelo is busy fighting Eubank Jr., Berlanga's promoter Eddie Hearn might pit Berlanga against strong contenders to give him credibility, such as Caleb Plant, Jaime Munguia, David Benavidez, Christian Mbili or David Morel Jr.
“If I were to fight in the U.S., Berlanga is the more realistic opponent because he's more popular,” Malignaggi said. “Eubank is not as popular in the U.S., so if I go to Europe, I'll fight Eubank in England. I think that opens up the possibilities and we'll see where he goes from here.”
Canelo doesn't have many options when it comes to his September schedule, unless he wants to include some fighters in the 160-pound division. With Eubank Jr. moving up from 160 pounds, Canelo could look to other fighters in that division and fans wouldn't complain.
“England will welcome Canelo Alvarez. To me, English boxing fans are the best in the world,” Malignaggi said. “They will naturally be rooting for Eubank even if he is fighting a local fighter, but they will be honoured and in awe that a star in the boxing world chooses to fight on their soil.”
London would be a great place for Canelo to fight and the event would be hugely hyped if it were held there, and even though Eubank Jr. is clearly on the decline in his career, fans would still want to see him fight Canelo.
Dana White's impact on Canelo's schedule
“Dana White doesn't represent anyone. Canelo represents him. If you look at the UFC schedule, they're doing it again in September.” [for Mexican Independence Day]”I can see Canelo traveling to the UK and doing well and it's obvious he would be welcomed with open arms there. The British people love boxing and they love superstar fighters,” Malignaggi said.
Canelo will have to get used to White scheduling his fights on Mexican holidays in the U.S. to take advantage of the TV audience. Canelo wouldn't have to give up his September date if he were fighting a popular fighter like David Benavidez, but fighting Berlanga, who is only popular in parts of New York City, might not work.
