Canelo Alvarez's much-hyped move to HBO has hit a snag before the first fight of his new three-year, nine-fight deal has happened. A December 6 bout vs. Joshua Clottey has been called off so Alvarez can tend to a nagging ankle injury.
According to reports Alvarez's ankle has been troubling him since before he fought Alfredo Angulo in March. Golden Boy president Oscar De La Hoya said after talking with Alvarez, it was decided that taking time off to heal would be in the best interests of his star fighter.
"I just spoke to Canelo, and he said, 'Look, my ankle has been bothering me since the Lara fight, way before the training camp started,' and then he said, 'I just have to get this taken care of. I'd rather do it now because 2015 is going to be huge for me,'" De La Hoya said.
In 2015 there are high hopes for a clash between Alvarez and Puerto Rican superstar Miguel Cotto, holder of the WBC middleweight title. The fight would rekindle the rivalry between Mexican and Puerto Rican boxing, and be the biggest showdown between those camps since De La Hoya battled Felix "Tito" Trinidad in 1999.
De La Hoya said it would be possible for a fight to happen next May between Alvarez and Cotto without a tune-up bout. "Going right to a Cotto fight is a big possibility," De La Hoya said.
"I will be talking to Canelo and his management team in the next couple of days to see what they want to pursue. This is a minor setback. I am more than positive Canelo will have the opportunity to fight live on HBO, even if it's not next. But I hear in Canelo's voice the enthusiasm about fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend."
Alvarez has been adamant about fighting on Cinco De Mayo weekend, and a major reason for shifting to HBO was becoming their top attraction. At Showtime, Alvarez played second fiddle to Floyd Mayweather Jr., whom he lost to in 2013. Mayweather has fought for the last several years on that weekend.
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