Canelo Alvarez decimated Alfredo Angulo in his first fight since losing to Floyd Mayweather Jr., and put up good pay per view numbers to boot. By proving he's a draw all on his own, that may give Alvarez more latitude in choosing his next opponent.
Will Lara finally get his shot at Canelo?
It's widely expected that Alvarez will step in the ring next against Erislandy Lara, whose slated to fight Ishe Smith on May 2, as Lara has antagonized the Mexican superstar for months. Prior to selecting Angulo, Lara had derided Alvarez as scared, and insulted them both as "losers" once the match was announced.
After Canelo's domination Lara crashed his press conference and had to be scolded for his tactics. He makes a lot of sense for Alvarez in terms of notoriety, contrasting style, and his standing among boxing observers. It's unclear though whether Lara can turn around from a May 5 fight and step back into the squared circle by July 26.
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Another opponent that may be looming is IBF champion Carlos Molina, who was set to face up-and-comer Jermall Charlo but had his fight derailed by legal issues. During the selection process of Angulo, Molina had ranked ahead of Lara because he held a belt.
In December, Canelo's trainer Eddy Reynoso said "We want to go forward and [Alfredo] Angulo is coming off a knockout loss. Lara is better, but the ideal opponent is the champion Molina. He has all of the merits and people saw him on pay-per-view in September, and that is something that we would be looking for."
He would need to overcome his immigration problems and face legal issues regarding a 2007 warrant in Wisconsin over failing to register as a sex offender, but Alvarez's camp clearly respects him.
By being a champion, he lends a little prestige to the proceedings, but Charlo had referred to him as a "stepping stone," and his 22-5-2 record only has six knockouts on it. Lara is the more exciting choice, and figures to be more fan-friendly.
Will Canelo finally face Lara? Give us your thoughts @SportsWN
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