Canelo Alvarez walks to the ring during the WBC middleweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena on May 7, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo : Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is already booked for a fight in September. But the Mexican boxing superstar and his camp are already thinking of another bout later this year.
Eddy Reynoso, Canelo's trainer, revealed that Alvarez is open to challenging reigning World Boxing Organization middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders. If Alvarez wins in his upcoming fight, he will likely move up to the 160-pound division to face Saunders.
Reynoso said that they will sit down with Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya about the fight. If everything falls into its place, the Alvarez-Saunders showdown could be staged in Mexico.
"Everything is possible," Reynoso told BoxingScene. "There is sand and beautiful stadiums in Mexico. There is support and sponsorships that make us think that it is not a crazy idea."
The fight against Saunders, who has a perfect 23-0 record, could be a part of Canelo's preparation for his 2017 showdown with middleweight boxing superstar Gennady Golovkin. Canelo and Golovkin's camps have a verbal agreement for a marquee showdown in September next year.
But before thinking of Saunders and Golovkin, Alvarez has to deal with Liam Smith in their upcoming fight. Alvarez and Smith are set to collide on Sept. 17 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
According to Daily Mail UK, Alvarez has already started his preparation for his fight against Smith in Guadalajara, Mexico. The 26-year-old Mexican is considered a heavy favorite in the upcoming showdown. However, Smith is unfazed, saying that he is determined to pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
"I look at Canelo, I don't need any more motivation," Smith said. "I don't look at the odds or papers. This is the biggest fight for me. I'm going there to stop him, if I don't it won't be through a lack of trying."
Smith owns a 23-0-1 record with 13 knockout victories. The 28-year-old Briton earned a shot at Alvarez after successfully defending the WBO super welterweight title via a second-round knockout victory over Predrag Radosevic in June in Merseyside, United Kingdom.
On the other hand, Alvarez boasts a 47-1-1 record, with his lone loss coming against Floyd Mayweather in September 2013. The Guadalajara native is coming off a vicious sixth-round knockout win against Amir Khan in May.
Watch the highlights of Canelo's scintillating win over Khan in the video below.
