Canelo Alvarez is set to face one of the primary tormentors of his young career, Erislandy Lara, on July 12 and this matchup will purely be for pride. Canelo insisted that the matchup be a non-title fight, which means he's simply taking him on because he's the best opponent possible.
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Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer likened the matchmaking process to when Alvarez fought difficult southpaw Austin Trout, despite Trout's relative lack of name recognition and drawing power. "It reminds me a little of the fight Canelo had with Austin Trout," Schaefer said.
"He pushed for the fight even when some people in his camp didn't want the fight and performed well. When Canelo came to the office to meet with me a few weeks ago, he had one name in mind. He wanted Erislandy Lara. He said he feels Lara is, next to Mayweather, the best fighter at 154 and he wants to challenge himself against the best.
"I tried to mention some other names, but he was very clear: 'Don't talk to me about anyone else. I want Lara.' That's what he said."
In his recent bouts Canelo has had difficulty with crafty, defensive fighters; his win over Trout was not dominant and he was completely confused vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. When he faced Alfredo Angulo in March, however, Canelo feasted on the stationary brawler and stopped him in Round 10.
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Lara is similarly unknown in comparison to Canelo, despite owning impressive wins over Trout, Angulo, and Vanes Martirosyan, so this is his chance at the big time.
"We're good to go. We got a deal in place. We're happy and we're ready to fight," Luis DeCubas Jr., Lara's co-manager, told ESPN.com. "It's a fight Lara has wanted. He's been after it for a few years. Now it's time to get ready in training. I think he really has earned this fight. This is a fight where the fans win. They'll see the two best junior middleweights who aren't Floyd Mayweather."
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