Saul "Canelo" Alvarez feels like he's on top of the world now, but the boxing world is quick to ask, "What's next?"
The obvious and actually, mandatory answer if Gennady Golovkin, but there are other possibilities.
Manny Pacquiao has declared that he wanted a fight scheduled in April. As the possibility looms that it could be his last fight, he may want to go out with a bang, and what better way to exit than to take on the newly crowned champion.
This was a real possibility, as reported by Boxing News 24 which stated that Lance Pugmire of the LA Times claimed that Top Rank's Bob Arum told him that he wants to have Manny Pacquiao fight Canelo if he beats Cotto.
"Bob Arum told me this week that Manny Pacquiao may be on the table for you," Pugmire reportedly said to Canelo.
However, boxing fans are still reeling from Gennady Golovkin's impressive knockout win last over David Lemieux last month, and the most desired bout right now would be a battle between the two winning middleweights.
Despite previous misgivings over the catchweight issue, Canelo is now singing a bolder tune as he told Max Kellerman in the interview (h/t Bloody Elbow):
"If you want me to fight him right now, put the gloves on and I'll fight him right now," Alvarez said (through his interpreter). "I respect he's a great champion, but right now I'll put the gloves on against him."
That was the answer everyone wanted to hear. However, it seems like the cards may actually favor other options, Pacquiao included and even a Mayweather rematch, as Canelo's handler, Oscar de la Hoya said that it might not happen right away.