Canelo Alvarez targeting Oleksandr Usyk as Eddie Hearn reveals heavyweight title fight demand
Canelo Alvarez is keen to face world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, according to promoter Eddie Hearn.
The 31-year-old Mexican is preparing to take on light-heavyweight Dmitry Bivol in Las Vegas this weekend as he looks to claim the WBA belt in the 175-pound division.
But Hearn, who is promoting the bout in Vegas on Saturday night, has revealed Alvarez is confident he can beat undefeated Ukrainian Usyk.
Speaking to JOE, he said: “When we talk about mindset and winning, he genuinely believes he can beat Oleksandr Usyk for the world heavyweight title.
“He said to me ‘if you can make that fight at one pound above cruiserweight – which obviously Usyk was a cruiserweight – I will beat him’.
“I find it hard not to believe him. Sometimes, the only way someone like Canelo Alvarez or Vasyl Lomachenko gets beat is when they keep moving up in weight outside of where they should be.
“That’s maybe how Canelo Alvarez gets beat, (when) it’s a challenge too far.”
Canelo has claimed world titles at super-welterweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light-heavyweight.
He was previously rumoured to be interested in a cruiserweight bout against Ilunga Makabu, but Hearn’s comments suggest he is willing to skip the 200lb weight clash altogether and focus on a heavyweight showdown with Usyk instead.
Usyk, 35, an Olympic gold medallist and former undisputed cruiserweight champion, claimed three versions of the heavyweight title after a unanimous decision victory over Anthony Joshua in September last year.
He is expected to rematch Joshua this summer, with a date in July appearing most likely.
