MEXICO CITY (Feb. 20, 2017) Two-division world champion Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) today kicked off their four-city international press tour in Mexico City. The event drew thousands of fans and hundreds of media to watch Canelo and Chavez, Jr. in their first face off ahead of their anticipated clash on Cinco De Mayo weekend, Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Below are what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s press conference:

CANELO ÁLVAREZ, Former Two-Division World Champion:

“It’s a new weight, so I have started to spar with heavier partners, which everyone will notice come fight night. Fights between Mexicans are usually the biggest, and I want this fight to be a mark on the legacy that many fights like this have left behind in Mexico’s fight history.

“I think that a rivalry does exist, and we are both polemic fighters. There have been a lot of comments directed towards me and my character, and I fight for pride to represent my country.

“We are of course are training at 100 percent. I think what makes this fight interesting is that we are both heavy punchers. I’ve been in my fair share of mega-fights, and the boxing ring is my home. I have had the same people in my corner since the very beginning, and I trust Chepo and Eddy to fully support me in my corner.”

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, JR., Former WBC World Middleweight Champion:

“I’ve been making my way to this fight. My last fight was at 168 pounds. This fight isn’t going to be any different from any other fight that I have had in the past. I want to thank all the people who have come to support me over the years.

“This is going to be a tough fight. Every fight is important, and this one especially because it is between two Mexicans fighting each other for the glory. The fight could not have come at a more perfect timing – both my and Canelo’s names are known throughout the world as some of the best fighters. My two losses against Martinez and Fonfara taught me more than all 50 of my wins. This fight has the potential to open many doors to my future that might have been closed before. I fight for pride – everyone says that Canelo is the best.

“With Nacho Beristain in my corner, I have a lot of knowledge on my side. It’s symbolic because he has his name etched as one of the greats, and this is a tribute to him and is a contribution to Mexican boxing. Canelo isn’t Oscar De La Hoya’s son. I’ve got a great corner. I am going to win this fight.”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“Saul was the one who wanted this fight, and my duty as a promoter is to put together the best fights. Mexican boxing is the best, and when you have these two hot boxers who want to give the best to the fans, and we couldn’t pass it up.

JULIO CÉSAR CHÁVEZ, SR., Six-Time World Champion Boxer:

“I foresee a real tough fight. We have seen the best of Canelo, but we have not seen the best of my son. I firmly believe that with a disciplined training camp, Jr. is able to knock out not just Canelo but anyone in his way. I want to thank everyone who has come out to support my son. I can honestly say that this is a dream come true, and we are looking forward to the fight.”

ERIC GOMEZ, President of Golden Boy Promotions:

“It’s always a pleasure to be here in Mexico, and I want to thank TV Azteca and our sponsor Tecate for always supporting us. This is going to be a great fight, between two Mexican warriors who want to be remembered as the best. We all know who will be watching – President Trump-and he will see the great contribution that Mexicans have to offer, and how we get things done.”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer to Canelo Alvarez:

“I want to thank Golden Boy, Canelo and the Chavez’s for the opportunity to bring another great fight. These fights- much like the many that have been precedent to it go beyond just being wars but represent a Mexican pride. It’s always a pleasure to be a part of these fights. It’s going to be a war in the ring, and I have full confidence that we will get the result we are training for. Mexico versus Mexico is one of the greatest fights you can see in the world. Nacho has contributed much to boxing, but I am a part of the new generation of trainers. At one point, Nacho was where I am now. We are the new generation, and we are here to make history.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager and Co-Trainer to Canelo Alvarez:

“We are so thankful for all the support we have received. We have to recognize the sacrifices that both fighters have made to make this fight possible for all the fans who have been asking for it. Julio will have to drop to a weight and Saul will have to go up to a weight he hasn’t fought at. What will happen on May 6 is an arena filled with thousands of Mexicans who will come together to sing the Mexican national anthem together, and show the US that we are more unified than ever before.”

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,250, $1000, $800, $600, $400, $300, $200, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $1000, $800, $600, $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $125 and $75 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/Canelo-ChavezJr into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 20, 2017) – Tickets for two-division world champion and boxing pay-per-view king Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) and former WBC World Middleweight Champion
Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) go on sale today at 10:00 a.m. PT / 1:00 p.m. ET.
The 12-round clash will take place on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Saturday, May 6 at Las Vegas’ new T-Mobile Arena, located along The Las Vegas Strip between New York-New York and Monte Carlo. As one of the biggest boxing matches in Mexican history, the mega-fight features two of Mexico’s most popular and powerful fighters to determine who is Mexico’s greatest. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,250, $1000, $800, $600, $400, $300, $200, $125 and $75, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $1000, $800, $600, $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $125 and $75 price level), go on sale Monday, February 20 at 10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EST. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD, Adriana’s Insurance and Interjet. The event will take place Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

Photos and videos are available to download by clicking here or copying and pasting the link http://bit.ly/Canelo-ChavezJr into a browser. Credit must be given to Golden Boy Promotions for photos and videos used.

Former world champion Lucas Matthyse will be back on May 6th on the Canelo Alvarez – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. PPV undercard, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“Matthysse is definitely going to be on the undercard. He’s making his comeback. He’s had his break,” Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions, said.

“His eye needed to get better. He had the fracture, but he’s been cleared,” Gomez said. “He’s looking good, he’s feeling good and he’s been training. He’s anxious to fight again.”

“We’re looking at opponents for Matthysse now,” Gomez said. “He’s had the break he needed and now he’s excited to come back. He wants to go after a world title at welterweight and fight some of the big names. It’s a strong division. He wants to win a world title and this is the start.”

LONDON (8 February) – To celebrate the launch of the ground-breaking deal between pioneering boxing channel BoxNation and BT Sport, the eagerly anticipated superfight between Mexican rivals Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr will be shown live on both BoxNation and BT Sport on Saturday May 6th, as part of a bumper night of boxing that kicks off Saturday evening at the Copper Box Arena in London.

The landmark deal between BT Sport and BoxNation will see Frank Warren promote up to 20 premium live boxing events a year that will be screened on both BoxNation and BT Sport.

BoxNation customers can also look forward to a further ten domestic events per year exclusively live on the channel, plus an unrivalled amount of exclusive live international events from the very best Promoters around the globe.

On May 6th, BoxNation and BT Sport will air one of the biggest international fights of the year as Canelo and Chavez Jr finally meet in the ring following years of bad blood between the pair.

Taking place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the showdown will rival the biggest fights in the history of Mexico’s proud boxing lineage, as pound-for-pound king and two-division world champion Canelo and former WBC middleweight world champion Chavez Jr go toe-to-toe in a 12-round battle, to be contested at a maximum 164.5 pounds.

In addition to this exciting match-up BoxNation customers can sit back and enjoy some quality live boxing over the coming months that will only be available on BoxNation. A bumper schedule with more to be added soon already includes Adrien Broner v Adrian Granados on February 18th and the mouth-watering dual between Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman on March 4th.

Residential BT Sport Pack customers can look forward to enjoying BoxNation, the UK’s first and only dedicated boxing channel, being made available to them from 1st March for free on the BT TV platform or the Sky digital satellite platform.

The Canelo-Chavez Jr match-up, however, is sure to generate huge interest as both men look to settle a long-standing score that will give the victor bragging rights throughout their home country of Mexico.

Canelo has taken the boxing world by storm since turning professional at the tender age of just 15, going on to become the world’s number one Super Welterweight boxer having run through a host of leading names in recent years including Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan and Liam Smith.

Chavez Jr, the son of Mexico’s greatest ever fighter Julio Cesar Chavez, is aware of what is on the line and will be looking to kick start his career following indiscipline away from the ring.

Both men are looking forward to producing an unforgettable night of boxing on May 6th, live on BoxNation and BT Sport.

“I’m excited to announce my fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and confirm that I will be prepared, like I’ve been throughout my career, to give a great fight,” said two-division world champion Canelo.

“I want to remind you that when two Mexican fighters face-off, a spectacular show is guaranteed and I can assure you that May 6 will be no exception, especially during the Cinco de Mayo festivities.”

“Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day in September are important dates for us Mexicans, and I’m expecting a great night for boxing and the whole world,” Canelo added.

“I dedicate this fight to Mexico,” said Chavez Jr. “I’m going to win, but my country will too because this is the fight that boxing needs.”

Canelo’s last performance was his knockout of the previously undefeated WBO light-middleweight world champion Smith in front of more than 51,000 fans in Dallas, Texas last September.

Chavez was last in action in December when he secured a unanimous decision victory over highly regarded German fighter Dominik Britsch in Monterrey, Mexico.

George Warren, CEO of BoxNation, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have secured the live rights to the upcoming superfight between pound-for-pound star Canelo Alvarez and the ever-entertaining Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, that will be screened on BT Sport and BoxNation. This is an event and fight that will undoubtedly have fans on the edge-of-their-seats and we are very pleased to deliver it to our loyal BoxNation subscribers, and it is great to have BT Sport showcasing this great event too. BoxNation will continue to air exclusively live international and domestic fights on the channel, but partnering with BT Sport for this megafight not only ensures we are able to deliver the event to BoxNation customers but allows us to engage a new audience, growing boxing on BT Sport and in the UK as part of our wider agreement.”

For more information about BoxNation and how to watch Canelo vs Chavez Jr please visit boxnation.com or for BT Sport go to bt.com/sport.

– ENDS –

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated boxing channel. From £12* per month with no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Mayweather vs Maidana, Saunders vs Eubank Jr and Khan vs Canelo.
The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Freeview (Ch.255), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.415), online at watch.boxnation.com and via apps (ios, Android, Amazon, Apple TV). BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.
Available on selected internet-connected Freeview products only, subject to coverage. Visit freeview.co.uk/availability.
BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.
For more information visit www.boxnation.com
*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV customers

LOS ANGELES (Feb. 3, 2017) – On Saturday, May 6, Las Vegas will play host to the kind of massive boxing event the city is known for when two-division world champion Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) squares off at the new T-Mobile Arena. In 2017’s first true mega fight, Alvarez will take on former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) during the Cinco de Mayo weekend on Saturday, May 6. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View.

Information on a press tour and tickets will be announced soon.

Nearly one year ago to the day before Canelo and Chávez, Jr. go head-to-head, Canelo celebrated T-Mobile Arena’s first boxing event with a thunderous knockout of Amir “King” Khan before a crowd of 16,540 in the brand new event center.

I love fighting in Las Vegas where the most important fights have historically been, and I’m very happy to be back at the T-Mobile Arena for this huge event on Cinco de Mayo weekend,” Canelo said. “I know that people from all over the world, America, obviously Mexico and everywhere else will attend to witness a great show.”

“I’m happy to return to Las Vegas where I’ve had many important battles in the ring. Las Vegas is the home of boxing,” Chávez, Jr. said.

Álvarez was last seen in September of 2016, knocking out the previously undefeated WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith in front of more than 51,000 fans in Dallas, Texas. Chávez, Jr. was last in action in December, when he won via unanimous decision over the highly regarded Dominik Britsch in Monterrey, Mexico.

“When my team and I talked about where to hold what will be the biggest fight of the first half of the year – we kept coming back to Las Vegas,” Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya said. “The biggest fights of the last 30-plus years have taken place in Vegas, and it is a natural home for this enormous event.”

Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD. The event will take place on Saturday, May 6 at T-Mobile Arena and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com and www.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing; follow on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @HBOboxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

By Bart Barry-

Friday brought what announcement boxing craves – a superfight! And here it is: May 6 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Mexican cinnamonweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will trade hands with Mexican chavezweight champion Julio “Son of the Legend” Chavez Jr. at the celebrityweight limit of 164 1/2 pounds. What we know of boxing contracts assures us even this loopiest of catchweights remains open to negotiation till opening bell – and without mandatory-minimum sentencing there’s good a chance of Chavez weighing over 200 pounds on May 5 as under 165 – and so as to ensure competitive bidding there are still threats of returning to the stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play, whatever it’s currently called, but if you’re a Mexican national booking his Cinco de Mayo vacation plans anywhere but Nevada, eres un payaso.

The obvious temptation is to go full misplaced aggression on this fight and use it as a convenient metaphor for what plagues our oncebeloved sport as if such metaphors composed a paucity, and of course for those GGG fans who long for a fight that justifies their ardor by legitimizing their guy last week’s announcement brought more ire – which says lots about the chances they honestly give a post-Pirog Daniel “Miracle Man” Jacobs, and the word ‘honestly’ must be emphasized because the promotional center of boxing is about to pretend Jacobs is a daunting foe, maybe even dangerous as David Lemieux – but Cinnamon versus Son of the Legend is an actually intriguing prizefight in spite of itself. It’s not what boxing needs, but who in the hell even knows what that is anymore? Boxing’s woes now need remedies prescribed in years, not fights, so it’s way outside the point to accuse any fight anylonger of not benefiting the sport that, were it not for certain broadcasters’ bespoke budgets, would soon find itself remanded to UFC undercards in the U.S.

This fight will sell hugely among Mexicans largely because it is so exclusively Mexican – it has nothing to do with WBC titles (though one gets giddy imagining what sanctioning ploys Consejo Mundial de Boxeo has planned) or official records or contrived gravity and legacy; it will feature two Mexicans who at least partially resent one another’s acclaim in the sense one man’s acclaim taxes the other’s revenue in the finite if inelastic Mexican boxing marketplace. From an aficionado’s perspective this fight made much more sense when this column prescribed it six years ago but from a promoter’s perspective it’s good a time as any.

Chavez ate himself hastily away from Canelo before HBO succeeded in making Canelo the draw he is now – HBO’s interest in Canelo began with the network’s stint as “an Oscar De La Hoya-search company that populates its undercards with Al Haymon-managed trial balloons” until Haymon bought Showtime and now HBO’s interest in Canelo is some combination of wanting exclusivity with the last guy in the sport who moves the pay-per-view needle and selfinterested altruism: without HBO as a partner Golden Boy Promotions probably wouldn’t see fiscal 2018 and then HBO would be stuck broadcasting solely Top Rank cards and every single product of the former Soviet Union’s amateur program.

Which brings us limping towards Son of the Legend whose career and life were shortened by his 2012 match with middleweight champion Sergio Martinez. Never a picture of discipline before Maravilla calmly, crisply, cooly diddled his cranium hundreds of times Chavez Jr. lost his remaining impetus thereafter and snuck through the next two years and two sizable paychecks beating on Brian Vera before changing his manager and promoter and advisor and getting bitchmade by a limited Pole named Andrzej Fonfara. Rumors of Chavez’s reform persist as ever, but making fights in El Paso and Monterrey as Chavez has done for the last two years has convinced no one Chavez is on the fruitful side of his career, and therefore the time is now for making a fight that proves nothing, but again, so what?

It’s no insight to say Golden Boy Promotions cannot afford to get Canelo beat; Cinnamon is nowhere near frightened of Gennady Golovkin as Oscar De La Hoya is since Canelo is not using his fortune to supplement more than a car collection and some houses while De La Hoya is using Canelo to subsidize a whole lot more. There’s no chance De La Hoya or HBO thinks Chavez can beat Canelo, but Chavez can beat Canelo, and Mexicans know this because whatever fuzziness Chavez’s lifestyle has brought his fighting trim the fact remains Chavez took Martinez to the quivering precipice of a knockout, and that Martinez was better in every way than Canelo.

The Maravilla whose career Chavez effectively razed in 90 seconds was creative and mobile and talented as any fighter Canelo has faced including the Floyd Mayweather who embarrassed him in 2013. And Chavez came a punch from snatching Martinez’s consciousness with nothing but size and will; he measured the physical disparity between a man who walks the earth at 210 pounds and starves to 160 and a man who had to eat his way up from 154 and invested in it by being hit relentlessly for 34 minutes simply for a chance to spend one minute whacking that smaller man with impunity.

Canelo is naturally larger than Martinez but not nearly large as Chavez, and if Canelo plans to stand in the pocket and counterpunch with Chavez he will get hit. No evidence has surfaced Canelo’s whiskers aren’t stiff but 36 minutes with Chavez should moisten them for Golovkin (unless Canelo can sue revenue projections for another year of PPV showcases), and therein lies the delicious irony of this money grab: In seeking one last enormous payday for Canelo before his reckoning with Golovkin the Cinnamon handlers ensure their man’s eventual middleweight-unification match will be a cashout.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

LOS ANGELES (Jan. 13, 2017) – In a historic showdown that will rival the biggest fights in the history of Mexico’s proud boxing lineage, two-division world champion and Pay-Per-View star Canelo Álvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) will take on former WBC World Middleweight Champion Julio César Chávez, Jr. (50-2-1, 32 KOs) on Cinco de Mayo weekend, Saturday, May 6 in a 12-round battle to be contested at a maximum 164.5 pounds. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Details regarding venue and an international press tour will be announced soon.

“I’m excited to announce my fight against Julio César Chávez, Jr. and confirm that I will be prepared, like I’ve been throughout my career, to give a great fight,” said two-division World Champion Canelo Álvarez. “I want to remind you that when two Mexican fighters face-off, a spectacular show is guaranteed, and I can assure you that May 6 will be no exception especially during the Cinco de Mayo festivities.”

“Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day in September are important dates for us Mexicans, and I’m expecting a great night for boxing and the whole world,” Canelo continued. “Don’t miss this special event live on HBO Pay-Per-View®. We’ll soon be announcing where the fight will be held.”

“I dedicate this fight to Mexico,” said Julio César Chávez, Jr. “I’m going to win, but my country will too because this is the fight that boxing needs.”

Álvarez was last seen in the ring Sept. 17, 2016, knocking out the previously undefeated WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith in front of more than 51,000 fans in Dallas, Texas. Chávez was last in action Dec. 10, 2016, when he secured a unanimous decision victory over highly regarded German fighter Dominik Britsch in Monterrey, Mexico.

“Boxing has been searching for a fight to draw the casual fan back to our sport, and Canelo versus Chávez, Jr. is just that fight,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “Canelo, the biggest star boxing, will take on not only a former world champion in Julio César Chávez, Jr., but the son of the biggest star in the history of boxing in Mexico. Add in 98 victories and 66 knockouts between these two superstars along with a Cinco de Mayo fight date, and you have a can’t-miss battle.”

“Canelo vs. Julio César Chávez, Jr. is one of the premier and most compelling matchups in boxing today,” said Tony Walker, Vice President of HBO Sports. “May 6 has all the makings of an extraordinary event as these two Mexican warriors will lay it all on the line to show who is the best on Cinco de Mayo weekend. It will be an evening that every fight fan will want to experience live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.”

Canelo vs. Chávez, Jr. is a 12-round fight presented by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Tecate, BORN BOLD. The event takes place on Saturday, May 6 and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visitwww.goldenboypromotions.com andwww.hbo.com/boxing; follow on Twitter @Canelo, @jcchavezjr1, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @OscarDeLaHoya, @hboboxing; become a fan on Facebookby searching @SaulCaneloAlvarez, @JCChavezJr, @GoldenBoyBoxing, and follow on Instagram @Canelo, @JCChavezJr, @GoldenBoyBoxing and @OscarDeLaHoya; and follow the conversation using #CaneloChavezJr.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, there has been some talks about a possible fight between Mexican superstars Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. for a fight next May.

“We’re in talks, we’ve been talking for about a month,” Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions, Alvarez’s promoter, said. “There’s interest on both sides.”

The biggest obstacle is the weight. If a deal is hammered out the weight would probably 164 or 165 pounds. Alvarez has never boxed above 155 pounds. Chavez has been 167½ or heavier for his past five fights dating to 2013.

“The catchweight is being negotiated,” Gomez said. “Canelo has a limit he wants, they have a limit Chavez wants, so it’s being negotiated.”

“It would be a good fight. The Mexican fans would really get behind it,” Gomez said. “It’s two really big names. We’re far apart, but we’re in talks. Hopefully, we can make it.”

He had some bad people in his life making bad decisions and giving him bad advice,” said Sean Gibbons, Chavez’s longtime matchmaker. “Julio was derailed from the path that he needed to be on. He’s back on the right path. He made weight comfortably for Britsch. He made the weight so easy. The contract was 169 but he said, ‘I’m coming in under to show that I’m back and serious.’ He proved to the people he’s serious and that he’s for real. The time is right and he can make the weight. The fight with Britsch was to prove to the public that he is ready for Canelo or (Gennady) Golovkin.”