Golden Boy Promotions has opted to not have their star fighter Canelo Alvarez fight in September 2019, a traditional Mexican-holiday and fight date Canelo has been featured on for the past three years.
“As a Mexican, it’s a responsibility and an honor to represent my country in both May and September,” said Canelo Alvarez.
“Those are my dates. However, as a world champion in multiple weight classes, I also have the responsibility of delivering the most exciting and competitive fights possible. That’s why Golden Boy and my team have decided to postpone the date in order to do right by my fans by promoting the best fight possible and with the best opponent possible.”
Recent discussions with Sergey Kovalev fell through as a September opponent. Kovalev will instead defend his light-heavyweight title in August.
Other candidates mentioned for a September bout included Demetrius Andrade, Jaime Munguia and Callum Smith.
The official statement from GBP is as follows:
“Golden Boy and Canelo Alvarez have made the strategic decision to postpone their typical September fight. The decision was made in an effort to secure the right opponent and to do justice to the level of promotion required for a boxing star of his magnitude. Though Canelo typically fights in May and September, it is not without precedent to fight later in the year as Canelo did fight in December of 2018 in Madison Square Garden. Canelo’s next fight will now take place later in 2019.”
