Boxing superstar Canelo Álvarez (57-1-2) officially has the rest of his year planned for inside the ring. The next fight for the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world will be against undefeated Russian boxer Dmitry Bivol (19-0) on May 7, 2022.
For his fight against Bivol, Álvarez will go up in weight and fight as a light heavyweight at 175 lbs. “I am very happy with this fight against Dmitry Bivol,” Alvarez told ESPN. “It is another great challenge for me and my career – especially as I go up in weight and face an exceptional light heavyweight champion like Bivol. We will be ready, like we always are.”
His opponent Bivol added, “I always only wanted to fight the best! I believe that the rest of my goals will begin [to] materialize on May 7!”
Assuming Álvarez wins, he will then meet Kazakhstani boxer Gennadiy Golovkin (41-1-1) on September 17, 2022, for the third time in five years. For the Golovkin matchup, he will return to 168 pounds. Not everything is on Álvarez’s shoulders, however, to make the fight in September happen. Golovkin also has to win his next fight in April against Japanese boxer Ryoto Murata (16-2) before his potential rematch with Álvarez.
According to ESPN, a third fight for Álvarez is being planned for December 2022. The trio of matches is said to be worth $160 million.
Álvarez’s last fight on November 6, 2021, ended with an 11th round TKO victory over Caleb Plant to win his fourth super middleweight title.
“It means so much to me, for the history of Mexico, to be an undisputed champion,” Alvarez told ESPN at the time.
We’ll see if Canelo Álvarez is able to add to his incredible legacy in 2022.