Canelo Alvarez, guided by his trainer/manager Eddy Reynoso, is contemplating a match in Japan for December following a potential win against Edgar Berlanga on September 14th.
Details on Canelo’s opponent in Japan remain undisclosed. Although there are no Japanese fighters in his weight class, there is speculation about the possibility of a crossover athlete from another sport challenging Alvarez.
The location of Japan might not be ideal for a Canelo vs. Terence Crawford bout, as it could be more lucrative if held in the United States. Despite interest from Turki Alalshikh in arranging the fight, Team Canelo has not shown a strong inclination towards accepting such offers.
With a fight of this scale, Canelo could command a sizeable purse akin to $200 million, drawing a comparison to Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s earnings in his 2015 clash with Manny Pacquiao. While Crawford may not currently hold the same standing as Pacquiao, the appeal of this matchup could attract significant attention. Crawford, moving up two weight divisions to meet Canelo at 168, brings its own intrigue having previously fought at 154 only once.
Despite Crawford’s recent underwhelming performance against Israil Madrimov, there remains a fascination among casual fans for a potential showdown with Canelo. While many U.S. fans wish to see Canelo challenging strong opponents domestically like David Benavidez, it appears that Canelo might be favoring less challenging matchups as part of his concluding fights before retirement.
Similar to exhibitions involving Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao with non-boxers in Japan, Canelo could be contemplating engaging in lucrative exhibition contests. The possibility of a fight in Japan in December, as part of venturing beyond American fights, is on the cards should Canelo triumph over Edgar Berlanga in September, as suggested by Salvador Rodriguez.
